Ilamatepec volcano erupts
The Ilamatepec volcano erupted today, spewing ash and large rocks over the countryside. A plume of gas rises kilometers into the air over the volcano. The government has issued a red alert and some seven thousand people are being evacuated. Here is the report from Reuters:
SAN SALVADOR, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Authorities evacuated hundreds of people living on the slopes of a volcano in western El Salvador on Saturday after it spat large rocks and ash from its crater during an early morning explosion.
El Salvador's geological study center said the Ilamatepec volcano, also known as Santa Ana, spat heavy rocks as far as a mile (1.6 km) from its crater. The government issued a red alert to nearby villages but no injuries were reported.
Mauricio Cromeyer, who owns a house near the volcano, told Reuters by phone that rocks about a yard (meter) wide were falling around his property.
Situated in a major coffee-growing area 40 miles (64 km) west of San Salvador, Ilamatepec, the largest of the country's 23 volcanoes, has been increasingly active since July 2004 but has not erupted since 1904.
There is continuing coverage on the web site of La Prensa Grafica and El Diario del Hoy.
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