Guatemalan authorities issued an orange alert Monday after renewed activity at the Fuego volcano, located on the border of three regions of the country. Some 400 residents of nearby areas were evacuated to temporary shelters.
The Fuego volcano, which rises between the regions of Escuintla, Chimaltenango and Sacatepéquez, experienced a sudden increase in activity on Monday, forcing authorities to place the country on orange alert, the second highest level of emergency in the national crisis management system.
Approximately 400 people were evacuated from riverside communities and taken to temporary shelters set up in Alotenango and the town of Escuintla. Schools located near the volcano were closed due to the risk of ashfall and further volcanic activity.
Emergency services urged residents to leave their homes immediately. Fuego is located just 16 kilometers west of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage city popular with tourists for its colonial architecture. This active stratovolcano also attracts many hikers.
In 2018, a violent eruption of Fuego killed hundreds of people, leaving a painful memory in the collective memory of Guatemala.
Community
Comments
Write a comment
Be the first to comment on this article.