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Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupts again

November 19, 2018

A violent eruption of the Fuego volcano in Guatemala has triggered the evacuation of some 4,000 people. The volcano, one of the most active in Central America, killed more than 190 people in June.

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Volcan de Fuego in Guatmala
Image: AFP/Getty Images/J. Ordonez

Guatemala's "Volcan de Fuego," or "Volcano of Fire," erupted overnight to Monday, spewing out red-hot rock, ash and gas and prompting disaster coordination authorities to evacuate 10 nearby communities.

More than 3,925 people had found their way to special shelters by early Monday, the national disaster commission said, with no reports of injuries.

The volcano flung incandescent material as high as 1,000 meters (3,200 feet) into the air, with explosions shaking homes with "constant sounds similar to a train locomotive," according to Guatemala's volcanology unit.

Volcan de Fuego in Guatemala
Flows of hot ash, mud, rock and lava can bury entire towns during a large eruptionImage: AFP/Getty Images/J. Ordonez

Active and deadly

The eruption is the fifth so far this year by the 3,763-meter-high volcano, the last being in October.

In June, more than 190 people died in explosive flows from Fuego according to official tolls, though organizations supporting the communities say thousands are still missing.

The volcano is situated about 30 km (19 miles) south of the capital, Guatemala City.

tj/msh (AP, Reuters)

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