Volcan de Fuego Erupts: 11 Shocking Scenes From Guatemala

emmafiala (44)in #news • 6 years ago (edited)

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On Sunday, Guatemala's aptly named Volcan de Fuego (Spanish for "Volcano of Fire") erupted, blanketing nearby villages in ash and killing at least seven. The volcano erupted just before noon and was followed by lava flows down the mountainside a few hours later.

According to National Disaster Coordinator Sergio Cabanas, seven people were confirmed dead and hundreds more injured as the volcano spewed ash and molten rock. Among the fatalities were a disaster agency official who was killed when a house became engulfed in flames and two children who were burned to death on a bridge as they watched the eruption. Another victim died in an ambulance en route to the hospital.

Authorities fear the death toll may rise as an unknown number of people are unaccounted for and, due to the destruction, many areas are unreachable.

Sunday's eruption is the strongest in recent years at what is one of Central America's most active volcanoes, 27 miles from Guatemala City. The director of the Guatemala's seismology and volcanology institute said the lava flows reached temperatures of 1,300 degrees.

Guatemala's disaster agency said 3,100 people evacuated and 1.7 million people were affected by the eruption. Guatemala City's airport was closed due to the ash.

Below are 11 shocking photos and videos from the eruption of Volcan de Fuego and the immediate aftermath.