Fuego volcano eruption forces mass evacuations in Guatemala
Guatemalan authorities raised the alert level to red and evacuated 659 people after the Fuego volcano erupted. A major highway was closed and classes were suspended in nearby towns.
Guatemala remained on high alert Tuesday after hundreds of residents were evacuated following an eruption of the Fuego volcano, one of Central America's most active. The eruption began on Monday, prompting authorities to raise the alert level to red and order evacuations in affected areas.
The national disaster management agency CONRED reported that 659 people from eight villages had been moved to nearby shelters. Officials said about ten additional communities may also need to be evacuated as the situation develops.
Footage of the event showed a lava fountain nearly 500 meters high and pyroclastic flows moving through multiple ravines. In response to the danger, a major highway near the volcano was closed, and classes were suspended in surrounding towns.
The eruption brings back memories of the deadly 2018 Fuego eruption, which killed hundreds, destroyed a village, and affected up to 1.7 million people.
