Hundreds evacuated in Ecuador as volcano becomes more active

Quito, Jan 7 (Xinhua) More than 1,000 residents have been evacuated after the activities in the Tungurahua volcano have intensified in central Ecuador, authorities have said.

The evacuation was a precautionary measure as the volcano has been more active in these days, an emergency operation official was quoted as saying by local media Sunday.

The residents who were asked to leave their homes were however allowed to return at during daylight hours to tend to their crops and animals, the official added.

Local mayor Juan Salazar said evacuated families have asked the government to resettle them in other places instead of the endangered zone.

Tungurahua - a steep-sided stratovolcano or a conical volcano composed of many layers of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash - is located near Ecuador's fourth largest city of Ambato, some 140 km south of the capital Quito.

Ecuador's Geophysics Institute said the volcano has spewed ash and could be more intense in the coming days, but noted there has been no lava flow.

Volcano Tungurahua, which means throat of fire in the local Quichua language, has been erupting off and on since 1999.

(c) Indo-Asian News Service

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