BANOS, Ecuador (Reuters) – Villagers fled their homes yesterday after a volcano in central Ecuador erupted, spewing rocks, gas and ash that prompted officials to issue an alert and order the evacuation of nearby communities.
People living within five miles (8 km) of the eruption were evacuated, authorities said.
The Tungurahua volcano, which means ‘Throat of Fire’ in Ecuador’s native Quechua language, has been rumbling off and on since seismic activity began to pick up in the area in 1999. Located 80 miles (130 km) southeast of the capital, Quito, the 16,500-foot (5,020-metre) Tungurahua is one of eight active volcanoes in the Andean nation.
The volcanic activity began to subside after five hours yesterday, according to authorities. But the official alert stayed in effect.
“There remains a constant column of ash emissions,” according to a statement from the Polytechnic Geophysics Institute, Ecuador’s main volcano monitor.