Guatemala’s Fuego volcano quiets after eruption

Guatemala’s Fuego volcano on Friday has quieted after a 32-hour long eruption, authorities said Friday.

The volcano, located some 35 kilometers (22 miles) southwest of the capital Guatemala City, began spewing lava and ash high into the sky on Thursday.

No damages or injuries have been reported and Emilio Barrillas, spokesman for National Volcanology Institute, told journalists that ash eruptions eased and lava emissions stopped on Friday.

“The seismic, acoustic and field observation parameters have shown that in the last hours this (eruptive) activity has remained in a progressive decline, which translates into low effusive activity,” Barrillas said.

Fuego, 3.7 kilometers (12,240 feet) high, is one of three active volcanoes in Guatemala.

Though some areas on its eastern flank saw a bit of ash fall, there were no evacuations, the official said.

The current activity is the strongest since June 2018, when Fuego unleashed a torrent of mud and ash that wiped the village of San Miguel Los Lotes from the map, said Barillas.

More than 200 people were killed.

© 2021 AFP