Ecuador declares state of emergency amid volcanic activities
Ecuadorean President Alfredo Palaciohas declared a state of emergency because of recent destruction caused by the Tungurahua volcano which reactivated three years ago.

The government acted in response to the constant emissions of gas, volcanic ash and lava flows, which have inflicted damage on crops and losses of livestock in populated areas close to the volcano, local media reported Thursday.

The Ecuadorean government will use 25 percent of the Savings and Contingency Fund to care for the residents in the nine areas affected. Its Ministries of Defense, Public Works, Health, Housing and Agriculture will all take actions to counteract the damage caused by the volcano.

The nine municipalities, all of which are located in central Ecuador, include Quero, Cevallos, Mocha, Pelileo, Tisaleo, Juive Grande and Pondoa in Tungurahua province and Penip and Guano in Chimborazo province.

Tungurahua, also known as the "The Black Giant," is one of Ecuador's two largest volcanoes. Its most recent serious eruption occurred in the 1940s, when it killed 30,000 people.