Guatemalan authorities have declared a state of emergency after the sudden eruption of one of Central America's most dangerous volcanoes. Volcán de Fuego, famous for being one of the most active and volatile volcanoes in the world, started erupting on Monday morning and had intensified by nightfall, sending molten lava and huge plumes of ash and smoke spewing into the air.
Emergency alert and evacuations
Officials responded by issuing the country's second-highest emergency alert and rapidly moving to evacuate residents from the danger zone. The Guatemalan disaster agency Conred posted on X: "An orange (danger) alert has been declared nationwide due to the eruption of the Fuego volcano," as it began evacuating two villages close to the volcano's base.
Recent history of eruptions
The famously volatile volcano began erupting on Monday morning, marking the third major eruption in four years for Central America's most active volcano. Fuego last erupted twice in 2023, causing the evacuation of around 1,700 people as they were rushed to safety. It also erupted in 2018, killing 215 people after lava poured down into a nearby village.
