- Title: GUATEMALA: Fuego volcano erupts
- Date: 4th September 2012
- Summary: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA (SEPTEMBER 4, 2012)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6. SERGIO CABANAS, DIRECTOR FOR DISASTER RESPONSE OPERATIONS, IN HIS OFFICE 7. CABANAS TYPING 8.(SOUNDBITE)(Spanish) SERGIO CABANAS, DIRECTOR FOR DISASTER RESPONSE OPERATIONS, SAYING: "All the communities have their evacuation plans. We spoke to community leaders and local co-ordinators in each community so that they can go to a security area as soon as a bigger, more intense eruption occurs. From there they can evacuate along routes designated in their action plans."
- Embargoed: 19th September 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Guatemala
- Country: Guatemala
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Environment
- Reuters ID: LVAA08IO2B41EKYQSICOEP0NKTXL
- Story Text: Guatemala's Fuego volcano sent ash and lava into the sky on Tuesday (September 4), leading the government to issue a warning to aircraft to avoid the area.
The volcano, located about 40 km (25 miles) southwest of the capital and overlooking the tourist city of Antigua, erupted on Monday, spewing ash and volcanic gas up to 1,200 metres (3,937 feet) into the sky and occasionally launching incandescent debris up to 100 metres (328 feet) into the sky.
"The CONRED system is monitoring the eruption of Fuego volcano. The eruption began in the morning and has caused ash to fall on some nearby communities. Some columns of smoke reaching up to 1,200 metres have been detected around the crater. This has caused alarm among some local people. It has not been necessary to evacuate people so far. The activity is very similar to that which occurred during the months of May and July. But this time the rumbling and audible sounds have been much greater," said David de Leon, a spokesman for Guatemala's National Co-ordination for Disaster Reduction (CONRED).
Ash spewed from the volcano has fallen over communities in the Guatemalan administrative departments of Chimaltenango, Sacatep�uez and Escuintla.
Sergio Cabanas, Guatemala's Director for Disaster Response Operations, said that local communities are prepared in the event of a more significant eruption.
"All the communities have their evacuation plans. We spoke to community leaders and local co-ordinators in each community so that they can go to a security area as soon as a bigger, more intense eruption occurs. From there they can evacuate along routes designated in their action plans," he said.
Additionally, three active lava flows have been reported moving alone the slopes of the volcano.
Guatemalan authorities have instructed aircraft to avoid flying within 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) of the volcano due to ash in the nearby airspace.
In late May, volcanic activity at Fuego forced Guatemalan authorities to close two stretches of highway threatened by lava flows that reached the base of the volcano. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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