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Saturday, June 5, 2010
Don't get too close! Thousands flee volcano eruption Guatemala but some can't resist taking a closer look
Posted by st at 7:11 AMBy Mail Foreign Service
Quite a view: People watch the Pacava volcano erupting in the Villa Canales in Guatemala
Huddled together high on a neighbouring hill, this little group have an incredible view of the exploding Pacaya volcano in Guatemala.
Others clutching umbrellas watch in awe as the lava shoots high into the air at the spot around 50 miles south of Guatemala City.
But the eruption is wreaking havoc in the Central American country and has already killed at least two people - one a TV reporter who was hit by a 'lava bomb' as she covered the spectacle.
More than 60 people have been injured and around 2,000 have fled their homes to escape the flow of lava.
Feel the heat: People walk next to the lava but thousands have been forced to flee their homes
Ash raining onto the capital forced the country's main international airport to shut, leading to President Alvaro Colom to declare a 'state of calamity'.
The eruption first began on May 27 but lava could still be seen pouring down the hillside yesterday, when these incredible pictures were taken.
Guatemala has also been hit by a huge storm - called Agatha - which has battered its west coast and brought torrential rain.
Floods have destroyed hundreds of bridges across the country and reportedly have left 400,000 without food, clothing and fresh water.
More than 120 people have been killed in the storm and 100,000 others have had to leave their homes.
Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and it is feared the two natural events could put its already fragile economy under even greater strain.
More than half the population are estimated to live in poverty.
Taking cover: One onlooker takes the precaution of using an umbrella to protect from flying ash 
Molten river: A huge strip of lava runs down the side of the volcano
source: dailymail
