Ecuador’s ‘throat of fire’ Tungurahua volcano erupts

The Tungurahua volcano, located 140km south of Ecuador’s capital Quito, erupted last night sending a plume of ash more than 10km high. The main explosion began at 6.10pm local time and lasted just 5 minutes. The main eruption was observed and caught on camera by on-lookers during the evening commute. Ecuador’s Geophysics Institute later confirmed that a second, four-minute explosion, and five ‘considerable’ tremors followed the initial eruption.

The volcano, whose literal translation is the “Throat of Fire”, has been sporadically erupting since 1999, but has been particularly active since February. The ash column has led to the temporary closure of regional airspace, and has so far affected three Ecuadorian provinces. No casualties or injuries have been reported.

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