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25 dead and nearly 300 injured in Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano eruption

On Sunday, the Fuego volacno of Guatemala erupted which claimed the life of 25 and injured nearly 300. The volcano exploded before noon on Sunday covering the nearby villages and areas with heavy ash which forced local residents to flee and seek refuge, around 04:00pm local time lava descended down the mountain.

Considered to be the most violent volacnic eruption in over 40 years, the Volcan de Fuego, meaning ‘Volcano of fire’ is one of the most active volcanoes of Central America. When it erupted it spewed rocks and lava in a radius of 8 kms, the thick smoke and ash covered the nearby areas. The people escaped fearing safety of their lives but few unlucky ones were charred and buried partially in the washing pyroclastic flow. This is the second eruption of the year for the Fuego volacno. The volcano is located near the colonial city of Antigua.

Many people were killed in the village of El Rodeo which was hit by the descending river of lava. The main airport in the capital, Guatemala City, has been closed. Guatemala’s president Jimmy Morales is considering declaring a state of emergency.

According to the officials, a total of about 1.7 million people have been affected by the eruption. Officials has also asked the people to wear masks for protection against the falling ash in four of Guatemala’s regions. They also warned residents of the states of Chimaltenango, Sacatepequez and Escuintla to immediately evacuate to a safer location and to watch out for volcanic rocks and ash.

Many pictures and videos have surfaced on social media which shows the massive eruption of the volcano and the brutal horror it has brought upon the local people and the villagers, they showed the affected people, families walking covered in heavy ash and mud from the eruption. Many were forced to run fearing their lives without their families.

More than 3,100 people have been evacuated from their homes while search and rescue efforts continue into the night. Hundreds of rescue workers, firefighters, soldiers and policemen are working to rescue and aid the survivors.
Explosions are still coming from the volcano, said Eddy Sánchez, director of the National Institute for Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology of Guatemala known as INSIVUMEH. He also warned of mudslides as rainfall continues, and urged people to stay off roads close to the volcano. The presidents of neighboring countries of El Salvador and Mexico offer their aid and condolenses for the victims and the country.

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Aman Kumar Singh

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