Eruption of the Fuego volcano sends lava and ash nearly four miles into the sky as country declares alert warning Hundreds of people living on the slopes of Guatemala ’s Fuego volc…

Eruption of the Fuego volcano sends lava and ash nearly four miles into the sky as country declares alert warning Hundreds of people living on the slopes of Guatemala’s Fuego volcano have evacuated their homes after a huge eruption spewed lava and plumes of ash. Central America’s most active volcano erupted on Monday morning, with conditions intensifying by nightfall and prompting authorities to issue the country’s second-most severe alert warning. By Tuesday, rivers of lava were streaming down the 3,763-metre (12,346-foot) volcano, which is located less than 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Guatemala City. Ash rose six kilometres (3.73 miles) into the red sky. “Since early morning it was active. That night, the alarm was raised that we needed to evacuate,” a local resident, Alejandro Garcia, 68, told AFP. Villagers left of their own accord out of fear, Garcia said, describing terrifying scenes of lava tumbling down the mountainside. Firefighters said they transported at least 350 residents of the El Porvenir and Las Lajitas villages to the eastward San Juan Alotenango municipality. Evacuees are staying in a community hall, where makeshift beds have been set up, while the number of people taken to other nearby towns remains unknown.