MEXICO, July 15 (RIA Novosti) – The authorities of Ecuador began evacuating people from villages located near the country’s Tungurahua volcano, local media reported on Sunday.
Ecuador’s Tungurahua exploded on Sunday spewing stones, gases and ash from its crater up to over five kilometers (three miles) in the air. No casualties were reported as a result of the explosion.
The country’s emergencies ministry reported that some 200 people were evacuated from nearby villages and taken to safer localities, where they were provided with shelter and humanitarian assistance.
The volcano, located 135 kilometres (84 miles) southeast of the capital Quito, has been active since 1999. The volcano went through a period of high activity in December last year and in March this year, but no eruption resulted.
