Volcano Eruption Forces Mass Evacuation

A volcano erupted in eastern El Salvador on Sunday morning sending thousands of people fleeing the area.

Residents in the coffee-producing region said they had heard a powerful explosion before the Chaparrastique volcano began spewing hot ash and smoke into the air.

No one has been hurt, say the authorities. Anyone living in a 3km (2 mile) radius will be evacuated.

Civil Defense Director Jorge Melendez said a yellow alert had been issued and investigators had been sent to the area to look for signs of fresh lava, but that none has been detected so far.

Temporary shelters are being set up in the area. Civil protection authorities say that some 5,000 people live in the area, in San Miguel province. The eruption began at 10:30 local time.

The Salvadoran government says it had been monitoring the situation since 13 December, when they detected increased activity inside the volcano. There are more than 20 volcanoes in the small Central American nation.

At 2,129 meters (7,000 ft.) above sea level, Chaparrastique is the third highest volcano in the country. It is located about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of San Salvador, the capital. Its last significant eruption was in 1976. It also caused a strong tremor in the area in 2010.