Guatemala evacuates villages due to an eruption of the Fuego volcano

A massive eruption of Guatemala's Fuego volcano on Monday prompted hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes. Central America's most active volcano unleashed lava and ash plumes nearly four miles into the sky. Authorities escalated the alert to the country's second-highest level, warning of imminent danger. By Tuesday, rivers of molten rock were cascading down the 3,763-meter high volcano, located less than 100 kilometers from Guatemala City. Plumes of ash rose six miles into the sky, casting a red glow over the countryside.

The eruption sent shockwaves through the local community. Alejandro Garcia, a 68-year-old resident, recounted the harrowing scenes of lava tumbling down the mountainside. Fearful villagers began evacuating on their own accord, leaving behind their homes and seeking refuge in nearby towns. Firefighters transported at least 350 people from the El Porvenir and Las Lajitas villages to the town of San Juan Alotenango, where makeshift beds were set up for those displaced by the disaster. Additional families have taken shelter in Escuintla, a town to the south.

The government urged residents to take precautions if evacuations were ordered and stressed that the volcano's behavior was unpredictable. The Institute of Volcanology warned of the danger posed by volcanic debris flows on the volcano's slopes, particularly in the western and southern sections. Despite the volcano continuing to erupt for 23 hours straight by Tuesday morning, its intensity appeared to be waning.

Guatemalan authorities took measures to protect air traffic, but the eruption has not yet impacted the capital's international airport. The education ministry halted in-person classes in communities located within two municipalities near the volcano, while traffic police closed a road encircling the mountain range connecting the south coast with the colonial city of Antigua, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Guatemala, situated on the Pacific 'ring of fire', is no stranger to seismic and volcanic activity. Previous mass evacuations have occurred in recent years due to Fuego's eruptions. In 2023, over 500 people were evacuated after the volcano spurted gas and ash, while another eruption in 2023 forced around 1,200 people to flee. In 2018, Fuego's catastrophic eruption claimed the lives of 215 people and left a similar number missing when rivers of lava destroyed a village.