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Pacaya: Volcano in Guatemala spews embers and ashes

2021-03-06T12:07:47.026Z


The Pacaya volcano in Guatemala emits clouds of ash that are kilometers high, and lava flows down the mountain slopes. Authorities advise the population to pack emergency backpacks as a precaution.


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Pacaya eruption on March 3, 2021

Photo: Esteban Biba / EPA

For the second time in three days, the Pacaya volcano in Guatemala erupted.

At the volcano around 50 kilometers south of Guatemala City, strong explosions were registered on Friday - as on Wednesday - as the Central American country's disaster control agency announced.

The approximately 2500 meter high mountain spewed embers and a dense column of ash and gas that reached a height of 5500 meters above sea level.

Three lava flows of up to 1,500 meters in length have been reported on the southern flank of Pacaya.

Pack emergency backpacks

According to the information, the wind carried coarse-grained ash in a westerly and southwestern direction into the surrounding communities - the district capital Escuintla, a good 30 kilometers away, could also get something from it.

Stone fragments could also fall down, it said.

After the volcano had shown a high level of activity throughout the day, it cannot be ruled out that it will increase or at least persist in the next few hours, the civil protection department said on Friday evening (local time), citing Guatemala's volcanological institute Insivumeh.

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Pacaya on March 3, 2021

Photo: Santiago Billy / AP

The population was asked to pay attention to instructions from the authorities about possible evacuations, not to put themselves in danger, to pack emergency backpacks, to cover water tanks and to wear mouth and nose protection as protection against fine dust.

One kilometer long lava flow

The volcano's activity was already very high when it erupted on Wednesday, as the civil protection department announced at the time.

Strong explosions were recorded that reached up to 800 meters above the crater.

In addition, a column of ash about a kilometer high had formed.

The volcanological institute Insivumeh published video recordings and photos of the Pacaya on Twitter, showing, for example, how lava flowed down the mountain.

On Wednesday, there were three 800 to 1000 meter long streams on the south-eastern flank of the volcano, a statement said.

The local authorities warned on Wednesday that the activity of the volcano could increase further.

Pacaya is one of several volcanoes in the area.

Around 200 people were killed in an eruption of the nearby volcano (Volcán de Fuego) in June 2018.

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jme / dpa

Source: spiegel

All tech articles on 2021-03-06

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