GUATEMALA CITY, May 5 — Central America’s most active volcano, near the capital of Guatemala, erupted yesterday, spewing a massive cloud of ash, according to authorities who have not announced an evacuation.

Guatemala’s Conred disaster centre said the volcano named Fuego, Spanish for "fire,” was sending out "pyroclastic flows” — a mix of gas, ash and high-temperature rock "which descend with great speed down the flanks of the volcanic complex.”

This, in turn, was causing "abundant” ash falls on farms and villages to the west and southwest of the volcano — as far as 50 kilometres (21.7 miles).

The ash column ejected by Fuego extended to more than 6,000 meters (some 19,000 feet) above sea level.

Conred said further eruptions could follow and warned that with rainfall in the forecast, mudslides could form.

It advised people living in affected areas to carefully follow any instruction from the authorities, and urged locals and tourists to avoid a restricted area of 7 kilometres around the volcano.

Last December, an eruption of lava and ash by the same volcano forced Guatemalan authorities to temporarily close the country’s largest airport.

The volcano sits about 16 kilometres from Antigua, the country’s picturesque former capital and biggest tourist attraction, and erupts every four to five years on average.

In 2018, an eruption sent rivers of lava pouring down its sides, devastating the village of San Miguel Los Lotes, killing 215 people and leaving a similar number missing.

Guatemala has two other active volcanoes — Santiaguito in the west of the country and Pacaya in the south. — AFP