Guatemalan authorities have evacuated nearly 1,700 people after the Fuego volcano erupted on Monday, August 3, triggering the country’s second-highest emergency alert level.
This prompted serious warnings of a “critical explosive phase” that can intensify further.
The volcano, which is about 35 kilometers away from the capital city of Guatemala, has been continuously erupting clouds of ashes that go more than 6,000 meters high while sending streams of lava down its slopes. Ashes are covering up to 120 kilometers distance, affecting around 29,000 people, according to the Guatemala disaster agency, Conred.
Red alerts have been called out in three municipal areas, including Sacatepequez, Escuintla, and Chimaltenango. They call for immediate evacuation to safety, but officials find it difficult to enforce evacuations since it is not required by law.
Executive Secretary of Conred, Claudinne Ogaldes, stated: “Unfortunately, the Conred law is not coercive. We’re visiting house by house to encourage families to evacuate.”
Several individuals are reluctant to evacuate because of concerns of having their homes looted. Henry Saenz, the country’s defense minister, confirmed that security personnel will keep watch to avert any acts of vandalism.
The government has warned that the next few days will be decisive, with rains expected to cause even more lahars. Lahars as much as 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) long are being released by the volcano, but no property damage has been reported yet.
Learning institutions in neighboring regions are on holiday while National Highway 14 has been shut down. It is not possible for tourists to reach the volcanoes of Acatenango and Fuego until further notice.
Fuego is considered one of the most active volcanoes of Central America, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”
In 2018, its deadliest eruption occurred, that took lives of around 215 people. Last year, the eruption displaced more than 500 people, while in 2023 around 1,200 residents were forced from their homes.
2026-08-05 18:47:00
