Near the Guatemalan city of Escuinatla, the volcano “Volcan del Fuego” exploded with a series of powerful explosions on Thursday. Sending thick clouds of ash three miles into the air, the volcano unleashed rivers of lava down its flank.

The explosions did not come as a surprise. The region’s most active volcano started to emit ash and lava earlier this month, but it wasn’t until this week that the government enforced evacuations.

Due to safety and health concerns, the local government forced approximately 33,000 residents surrounding the volcano to evacuate.

The Washington Post reported:

Guatemala’s head of emergency evacuations, Sergio Cabanas, said the evacuees were ordered to leave some 17 villages around the Volcan del Fuego, which sits about six miles southwest (16 kilometers) from the colonial city of Antigua, home to 45,000 people.

The falling ash reduced visibility to 10 feet in some places near the base of the volcano, and has caused respiratory problems in some residents. At press time, there were no casualties.

— Stew

(Photo Credit: AP)