Ash clouds and lava flows: Guatemala's Fuego Volcano erupts

Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted on Thursday, with fountains of lava shooting hundreds of metres into the sky.

The eruption formed an ash cloud up to six kilometres high and more than 200 kilometres long, in addition to lava and pyroclastic flows.

These are streams of hot ash, volcanic gases and rock fragments that move rapidly downhill on the flanks of a volcano.

In nearby towns such as Morelia and Panimaché, more than 1000 people were evacuated as a precaution, according to authorities. Ashfall was recorded in numerous municipalities.

The National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) also warned of possible mud and debris avalanches due to expected rainfall on the day.

Volcán de Fuego, Fire Volcano, is notorious for its dangerous eruptions. A major eruption of the 3763-metre-high volcano in the south of the Central American country previously left hundreds dead and missing in 2018.

This marked the most powerful eruption since 1974 with pyroclastic flows reaching multiple villages.

Guatemala has 37 volcanoes across its land with three, Fuego, Pacaya, and Santiaguito, seeing constant activity through the year.

Located at the meeting point of the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates, the country hosts many mountains and commonly sees earthquakes due to the constant movement between plates.