Guatemala issues 'danger' alert after Fuego volcano erupts

Guatemalan authorities issued the country's second-highest emergency alert level on Monday after a major eruption of Central America's most active volcano, prompting the evacuation of nearby villages.

Fuego erupted on Monday morning and had intensified by nightfall, with lava flows and huge plumes of ash spewed about six kilometers (four miles) into the air.

"An orange (danger) alert has been declared nationwide due to the eruption of the Fuego volcano," disaster coordination agency Conred said on X.

The alert level is one below the highest level of red, which indicates the most serious emergency.

Officials began evacuating on Monday two villages near the volcano, which is located 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the capital Guatemala City.

Footage released by the emergency services showed the powerful eruption turning clouds red and lava flowing down the slopes of the 3,763-metre-high (12,346-foot) volcano.

"If an evacuation is ordered or conditions pose a risk to your life, follow the principle of self-evacuation," Conred spokesperson Valeria Urizar said in a video posted on social media.

The country's Institute of Volcanology warned in a statement that the volcano was "moving towards a more explosive phase".

It warned of hot volcanic debris flows down Fuego's slopes, with communities on the western and southern flanks at the greatest risk.

The education ministry ordered the suspension of face-to-face classes in communities within two municipalities near the volcano as a precaution.

Traffic police also closed a road encircling the mountain range that connects the south coast with the colonial city of Antigua, the country's main tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Institute of Volcanology reported that ash plumes were rising to more than 6,000 meters, with ash falling on nearby communities.

There have been several such mass evacuations in recent years because Fuego erupted.

Guatemala lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Authorities evacuated more than 500 people last year after Fuego spewed gas and ash, with residents moved to shelters from communities near the crater.

The government suspended local school activities and closed a road linking the south of the country to Antigua.

Another eruption from Fuego in 2023 caused the evacuation of around 1,200 people.

In 2018, 215 people were killed and a similar number left missing when rivers of lava poured down the volcano's slopes, devastating a near