Guatemala declares red alert as Fuego volcano erupts, forcing 1,699 evacuations
Guatemala’s Fuego volcano entered a critical explosive phase on Monday, prompting mass evacuations and the declaration of a red alert—the highest warning level—for three administrative regions.
The 3,763-meter volcano, located about 50 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City, has spewed lava and ash columns reaching up to 7,000 meters into the sky, according to Edwin Rojas, director of the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology. Authorities reported at least 1,699 people evacuated from at-risk villages, with pyroclastic flows descending the volcano’s slopes . Claudinne Ogaldes, executive secretary of the national disaster agency Conred, said 29,000 people have been affected by ashfall, which has spread up to 120 kilometers away .
The red alert covers Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango, and Escuintla, home to 1.6 million people. Ogaldes urged residents to evacuate voluntarily, noting that Guatemalan law does not mandate compliance. Security forces have been deployed to prevent looting, a concern cited by some residents refusing to leave . Evacuees, including families with children, have been sheltered in community halls in San Juan Alotenango and Escuintla, with makeshift beds set up for displaced residents .
The Institute of Volcanology warned of hot volcanic debris flows, particularly on the volcano’s western and southern flanks. A 200- to 300-meter lava fountain formed above the crater, while ash plumes dispersed at altitudes of 5,000 to 6,000 meters, disrupting airspace west and southwest of the volcano . Guatemala’s civil aviation authority issued a pilot alert, though the capital’s international airport remains operational.
Tourist access to the Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes has been restricted, and National Route 14, a major highway, was closed as a precaution. Despite the ban, some tourists reportedly climbed Acatenango to film the eruption, prompting police to block access . Classes were suspended in some municipalities near the volcano, and Conred provided updates to the Ministry of Education for further measures.
Fuego, one of Central America’s most active volcanoes, lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire. A deadly 2018 eruption killed around 200 people, and the volcano has seen multiple major eruptions since . The current eruption had lasted 23 hours by Tuesday morning, with intensity easing slightly but remaining hazardous .
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Hochaktiver Vulkan in Guatemala erneut ausgebrochen Mehr als 1400 Menschen mussten evakuiert werden. Insgesamt sind fast 30.000 Personen vom Ausbruch betroffen, zum Beispiel durch Ascheregen
der standard · about 2 hours ago
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la libre · about 2 hours ago
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euronews · about 3 hours ago
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die presse · about 3 hours ago
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la vanguardia · about 3 hours ago
Guatemalan volcano reaches critical explosive phase as hundreds evacuated
news.yahoo.com · about 3 hours ago
Röd varning efter vulkanutbrott Röd varning utfärdad
expressen · about 3 hours ago
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die zeit · about 6 hours ago
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helsingin sanomat · about 6 hours ago
Guatemala nariadila evakuáciu pre zvýšenú aktivitu sopky Fuego Guatemalská sopka Fuego vstúpila do novej intenzívnej erupčnej fázy a núti úrady k evakuácii obcí v jej blízkosti. Po svahoch sa valia nebezpečné pyroklastické prúdy.
aktuality.sk · about 7 hours ago
Natur: Hochaktiver Vulkan in Guatemala erneut ausgebrochen
die zeit · about 7 hours ago
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aljazeera · about 7 hours ago
Au Guatemala, le volcan Fuego est entré en éruption, le gouvernement déclenche lalerte maximale Considéré comme le volcan le plus actif dAmérique centrale, le Fuego est entré en phase éruptive lundi matin.
le monde · about 8 hours ago
BREAKING - Guatemala raises alert level following volcano eruption: official bit.ly/4fT4SDd Follow @InsiderPaper for more news
telegram_Insider Paper · about 8 hours ago
Po izbruhu ognjenika v Gvatemali na stotine ljudi zapustilo domove Več sto prebivalcev, ki živijo na pobočjih ognjenika Fuego v Gvatemali, je po njegovem izbruhu zapustilo svoje domove. Najdejavnejši ognjenik v Srednji Ameriki je izbruhnil v ponedeljek zjutraj in v zrak še vedno bruha lavo in pepel.
rtv slovenia · about 8 hours ago
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welt.de · about 8 hours ago