Ecuador volcano erupts

Thousands of people have been evacuated after volcanoes erupted in Guatemala and Ecuador, choking major cities with ash.

President Alvaro Colom of Guatemala declared a 15-day state of emergency around the Pacaya volcano, 30 miles south of the capital, Guatemala City.

The volcano erupted again Friday after first bursting back to life Wednesday, killing two people, including a television reporter covering the event.

In Ecuador, the Tungurahua volcano exploded into action on Friday, forcing the evacuation of at least seven villages and closing down the airport and public schools in Guayaquil, the country's largest and most populated city.

As 8,372 feet, the Pacaya volcano exploded anew on Friday, with billowing clouds of ash and dust. Mr Colom said La Aurora International Airport, in Guatemala City, would remain closed until Saturday "because we've got to clean the runways and surrounding areas" of ash.

The airport closures were reminiscent of the massive blanket of ash Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano spewed out last month causing the biggest aerial shutdown in Europe since the Second World War, affecting more than 100,000 flights and eight million passengers.

President Colom said the eruptions of Pacaya since Wednesday had killed two people, injured 59, left three children missing and destroyed 100 homes.

The Emergency Management Co-ordinator said between 1,700-1,900 people have been evacuated from their homes to nearby shelters in three departments affected by the emergency decree. Telegraph