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Guatemalan authorities issue second-highest emergency alert as Fuego volcano eruption forces hundreds of residents to evacuate

Guatemalan authorities have issued the country’s second-highest emergency alert level following a major eruption of the Fuego volcano, Central America’s most active volcano. The eruption, which began on Monday morning, intensified by nightfall, sending lava flows and ash plumes reaching heights of six kilometers. Claudinne Ogaldes, executive secretary of the disaster managing agency CONRED, confirmed that the eruption has prompted the evacuations of nearby villages, including El Porvenir and Las Lajitas. While the evacuation orders are recommendations rather than requirements, security forces have been deployed to patrol the areas to prevent looting. The volcanic activity has affected over 29,000 people with ashfall, and the Education Ministry has suspended classes in nearby municipalities. National Route 14 has been closed as a precaution. Despite the intense activity, the capital's international airport remains operational, though pilots have been warned of ash affecting the airspace west of the volcano. Authorities will continue to monitor the volcano's activity for the next 72 hours.

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