Guatemalan authorities evacuated around a thousand people on Monday after Central America’s most active volcano erupted, spewing lava, ash and rocks.
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Residents with traumatic memories of a deadly eruption in 2018 sought refuge after the Fuego volcano exploded spectacularly 35km (22 miles) from the capital Guatemala City.
“We heard the rumblings and then a strong eruption,” Manuel Cobox, 46, told Agence France-Presse after leaving his home with his wife and three daughters.
Some 125 families, around 900 people, were moved to safety from the community of El Porvenir, said Juan Laureano, a spokesman for Guatemala’s disaster coordination agency, Conred.
Residents of another community in Las Lajitas were also evacuated, the official added.
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Buses brought evacuees carrying belongings to a town hall turned into a temporary shelter, while others stayed with friends or relatives.