A deadly volcanic eruption in Guatemala has killed dozens of people - here's what it looks like on the ground

Jeremy Berke

Jun 4, 2018, 21:03 IST

A deadly volcanic eruption in Guatemala has killed dozens of people - here's what it looks like on the ground

AP Photo/Santiago Billy

Volcan de Fuego, or Volcano of Fire, blows outs a thick cloud of ash, as seen from Alotenango, Guatemala, Sunday, June 3, 2018.

A volcano erupted in Guatemala on Sunday, killing dozens and injuring hundreds of people, and officials fear that toll could rise.

The volcano, called Volcan de Fuego (Volcano of Fire), is located 27 miles southwest of Guatemala City, the country's capital.

While this is the second time the Volcan de Fuego has erupted this year, officials said this most recent eruption is the deadliest in Guatemala in over a century, according to the BBC.

The eruption spewed ash over 4 miles into the sky, with volcanic debris and ash covering portions of Guatemala City and local communities surrounding the volcano. Over 3,100 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters as of Monday morning.

Over a million people have been affected by the eruption, according to Conred, Guatemala's National Disaster Management Agency.

Guatemala City's airport has been shut down due to ash on the runway, Guatemala's civil aviation authority said on Twitter.

Here's what the situation looks like on the ground.

The Volcan de Fuego is one of the most active volcanos in Central America, erupting multiple times per year.

The most recent eruption started on Sunday. It's the deadliest eruption in Guatemala in the past century.

The volcano spewed ash miles into the sky and sent lava racing down the mountain slopes into neighboring villages.

Pyroclastic flows, which are mixtures of gases and other volcanic matter, quickly destroyed villages and buried victims. The flows can reach speeds of over 400 miles-per-hour, making escape all but impossible.

Hundreds of rescue workers and emergency officials descended on the impacted communities to help aid survivors.

Many victims were burned by lava, or asphyxiated by the ash and pyroclastic material.

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales declared three days of national mourning immediately following the disaster.

"Not everyone escaped, I think they were buried," survivor Consuelo Hernandez said in a video released by Conred. "We saw the lava was pouring through the corn fields and we ran toward a hill."

Firefighters did all they could to rescue people in the areas immediately surrounding the volcano.

"The only thing we could do was run with my family and we left our possessions in the house. Now that all the danger has passed, I came to see how our house was –everything is a disaster," local resident Ricardo Reyes told the BBC.

Survivors were evacuated to temporary emergency shelters, where they waited for news about their homes and loved ones.

The town of El Rodeo, located on the volcano's slopes, was completely buried, according to Conred.

Ash and volcanic debris rained down on Guatemala City, which has a population of close to 3 million people.

"All our solidarity and support to the President Jimmy Morales and the Guatemalan people for the loss of human life after the eruption of the volcano of Fire," Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said on Sunday.

While the eruption officially ended late Sunday night, Guatemala's National Institute of Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology warned that mudslides and atmospheric pollution could still pose risks.

Next Story Sex could improve your memory when you're older, according to a new study - further proof that it's good for the brain