Ecuador's Tungurahua
Volcano Becomes Active
Again
Around 1,400 people have
been evacuated from
their homes following
fresh activity at
Tungurahua volcano in
Ecuador Thursday.
The country's
Geophysical Institute
(GI) said an eruption
was extremely likely.
"We now have strong
seismic signals. The
seismic activity is
increasing very fast,
which makes us believe a
new eruption is on the
way," GI scientists told
a press conference
Thursday.
Tungurahua volcano first
erupted Tuesday night
but remained calm until
a strong explosion which
thrust up clouds of ash
and rubble at 11:55
local time (16:55 GMT)
Thursday .
The volcano was covered
by cloud Thursday
completely obscuring its
crater. Nevertheless,
volcanic ash and rubble
were found nearby.
Officials from the
volcano observatory in
Guadalupe, 12 km from
the volcano, confirmed
that strong seismic
activity begun again,
saying the situation "is
very similar to the one
of Tuesday."
Civilian Defense
officials maintained an
emergency situation in
the region and issued a
red alert for the area
surrounding Tungurahua.
No one was hurt in
Tuesday's eruptions,
however.
Some 1,400 people have
been placed in temporary
refuges in the provinces
of Chimborazo and
Tungurahua.
The 5,039-meter
Tungurahua volcano began
erupting in November
1999 and since then its
activity has varied in
strength. Climaxes came
on July 14 and Aug. 15
of 2006 when two strong
eruptions occurred.
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