ECUADOR: Eruption of "Throat of Fire" volcano calms and villagers return to their homes and farms

Record ID: 860640

  • Title: ECUADOR: Eruption of "Throat of Fire" volcano calms and villagers return to their homes and farms
  • Date: 30th May 2010
  • Summary: MAN PUTTING PROTECTIVE MASK ON CHILD CLOSE-UP OF CHILD WEARING MASK
  • Embargoed: 14th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ecuador
  • City:
  • Country: Ecuador
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Environment / Natural World
  • Reuters ID: LVA4TAF0K2CYXPJDFHBFT5R7C6W3
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: An eruption by Ecuador's "Throat of Fire" volcano abated on Saturday (May 29), leading authorities to begin allowing 2,500 evacuees to return home and announce plans to reopen a major airport later in the day.
    "It has been decreasing, we are no longer seeing eruptions with successive emissions and fallouts," said Carlos Sanchez, a local official.
    Residents of rural villages close to 5,020-metre (16,500-foot) Tungurahua were evacuated on Friday and the airport in the coastal city of Guayaquil was closed.
    Ash particles can cause serious damage if sucked into airplane engines. An Icelandic volcano caused widespread disruption and major losses for airlines after flights were grounded for days in Europe in mid-April.
    Some of the evacuated villagers began to return to their homes on Saturday and the airport was due to reopen in the afternoon after the runway was swept of volcanic ash.
    "We are here and we are relaxed, we came to look after the animals and later we will go tonight and sleep elsewhere," said farmer Danilo Herrera, who returned to the to tend to his animals.
    Tungurahua, which means "Throat of Fire" in the local Quechua language, has been classified as active since 1999, and produced a strong eruption in 2008. It is one of Ecuador's eight active volcanoes.
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