Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano violently explodes: tremors felt for hundreds of miles

July 15, 2013 – ECUADOR – At least 200 people have been evacuated after a volcano in Ecuador erupted and spewed ash miles into the air. The “strong explosion” at the Tungurahua volcano could be felt hundreds of miles away, the Geophysics Institute reported. It spewed stones, gases and ash more than 5 km (3.1 miles) into the sky, authorities said. The clouds of ash and gas could be seen as far away as the capital Quito, about 153km (95 miles) north of the volcano. There were no reported deaths, according to local media. Authorities declared an “orange alert,” the second highest warning level after red, following the eruption at 6.47 am local time on Sunday. Residents were evacuated from villages in areas near the volcano on the eastern Andean range, said Lourdes Mayorga from the National Risk Management Secretariat. Some residents had issues evacuating because of the volcanic rocks and minor flooding following heavy rains. After remaining dormant for eight decades, Tungurahua – “throat of fire” in the local Quichua language – rumbled back to life in 1999 and has been active ever since. –Sky News

Fuego Volcano, Guatemala: Explosive activity has been weak (only few and small strombolian explosions with ash plumes up to 200-400 m height and incandescent material rising 100 m), but another lava flow has started on the upper southern flank. On 12 July morning, it was about 150 m long towards the Taniluyá canyon. –Volcano Discovery