Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupts killing 99

The Fuego volcano, 25miles (40km) south-west of the capital Guatemala city, spewed rocks, gas and ashes into the sky on Sunday as the fast-moving mixture of red-hot rock and gas are known as pyroclastic flows rushed the mountainside and engulfed villages at extreme high  speed, killing 99 people inside their homes and injuring hundreds with over 200 unaccounted for.

President Jimmy Morales has declared three days of national mourning and said “ nation’s deep pain caused by irreparable losses in human lives”.

The last major eruption in 1902, in Santa Maria volcano which killed thousands of people, but 1974 eruption did not, however, claim any life.  Another eruption in February 2018, sent ash 1.1miles (1.7km) into the sky.

Serio Cabanas, head of the country’s National Disaster Management said the town of El Rodeo has been buried and other towns affected include Alotenango and San Miguel Los Lotes.

The eruption has affected 1.7 million people and the death toll is expected to rise as rescuers are still trying to reach a number of villages. Temporary shelters have been set up for about 3000 residents who have been evacuated.

 

The volcano ash has reached as far as Guatemala City as soldiers have been clearing the runway at the La Aurora airport.