The most active volcano in Central America erupts in Guatemala | world

The Fogo volcano, in Guatemala, the most active in Central America, erupted on Thursday (4), spewing ash and lava, which led to the preventive closure of the road in the vicinity.

The Coordinating Authority for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), the body in charge of civil defence, stated that the volcano is active: “The eruption column is still at 6,000 meters above sea level, laden with copious ash, which is dissipating west-southwest, more than From 50 kilometers.

According to Conried, the eruption is still “at a high level” and “heavy ash” has been reported in at least seven communities located at the base of the volcano. No evacuation orders have been issued yet.

Plumes of gas and ash were scattered to the west and southwest of the 3,763-meter-high volcano, which is located 35 kilometers from Guatemala City.

The agency said the eruption began in the early hours of the morning and there could be an increase in emissions, “forming taller columns of gas and ash, violent ash-laden explosions and lava flows in other directions.”

Lava can reach about five or seven kilometers from the crater, so the entity will continue to monitor continuously given the proximity of some communities.

“Lava flows are a mixture of gases, ash, and pieces of rock with high temperatures that descend very quickly along the sides of Fogo,” he explained to Conried.

As a precautionary measure, “a decision has been made to suspend vehicular traffic” on the road, Deputy Communications Minister Carlos Figueroa said at a press conference. It is a secondary road connecting several cities to the colonial city of Antigua, the country’s main tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

Pictures of the roads released by the police showed cars and motorcycles blocked on the road due to the danger of access to them due to the fall of volcanic materials.