GUATEMALA: Guatemala is reeling in the aftermath of a devastating volcanic eruption that has buried whole towns and claimed at least 69 lives in a disaster that is being compared to the volcanic eruption in Pompeii.
The death toll continues to rise in Guatemala as charred bodies are pulled out of the debris, with only a fraction of the victims identified so far.
El Rodeo, a town which felt the volcano’s full fury when it erupted on Sunday, is almost entirely buried under ash and rock.
A makeshift morgue in the nearby city of Escuinta is overrun with desperate relatives searching for missing loved ones amongst the dead.
Horrifying photographs and videos have been shared on social media showing the pyroclastic flow soaring into towns, with onlookers suddenly finding themselves with just seconds to get out of the way.
Pyroclastic flows are fast-moving currents of extremely hot gas and volcanic matter that pour down volcanic slopes at incredibly high speeds.
They contain a mix of hot lava rocks ranging from pebbles to boulders, pumice, ash and volcanic gasses.
Pyroclastic flows can reach speeds of up to 430mph and temperatures of about 1,000 degrees Celsius.
The most infamous pyroclastic flow in history occurred in AD79, when a pyroclastic flow from erupting Mount Vesuvius buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Most of the residents of were buried before they could escape, and the towns were smothered in ash.
The cities were rediscovered in 1599 and have been excavated over the years, largely preserved due to the lack of air and moisture from the dense ash blanket.
Guatemala’s national disaster agency CONRED is advising residents to stay away from ravines and valleys where pyroclastic flows tend to spread.
Volcán de Fuego - meaning ‘volcano of fire’ in Spanish - is situated 25 miles from the capital Guatemala City.
This is the volcano’s second eruption this year, with an ash cloud sent up hundreds of metres into the air on February 1.
- EXPRESS
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