Volcano eruption in Guatemala forces airport closure
Baku, December 12, AZERTAC
One of the most active volcanoes in Central America has erupted again, spewing lava and ash and forcing authorities in Guatemala City to briefly close the country's largest airport and a major highway, according to TRT World.
The volcano named Fuego -- Spanish for fire -- rumbled into activity overnight Saturday into Sunday, with molten rock oozing down its slopes and ash belching two kilometres (more than a mile) into the sky. Winds carried the ash toward Guatemala City, 35 kilometres (22 miles) away.
La Aurora international airport, six kilometres south of the capital, was temporarily closed at mid-morning, the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics said in a statement, citing the presence of ash near the runway.
At least two incoming flights had to be diverted, aviation sources said before it reopened around midday local time after winds changed direction and sent ash away from the facility.
In addition, a road that connects southern and central Guatemala was closed as a precaution, said Carlos Aquino, a spokesman for the highway police. It reopened Sunday afternoon as the volcano's activity subsided.
The volcano sits about 16 kilometres from Antigua, the country's picturesque former capital and biggest tourist attraction.
Fuego erupts every four to five years on average. In 2018, an eruption sent rivers of lava pouring down its sides, devastating the village of San Miguel Los Lotes, killing 215 people and leaving a similar number missing.
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