Activity heats up inside Guatemala volcano; death toll rises to 75

Firefighters remove a burned corpse buried in volcanic ash in the disaster zone near the Volcan de Fuego, or “Volcano of Fire,” in the El Rodeo hamlet of Escuintla, Guatemala on Tuesday, June 5, 2018. The fiery volcanic eruption in south-central Guatemala killed scores as rescuers struggled to reach people where homes and roads were charred and blanketed with ash. AP

EL RODEO, Guatemala — Guatemala’s seismology and volcanology institute has said activity is increasing at the Volcano of Fire (Volcan de Fuego), which erupted on Sunday and sent deadly flows of super-hot material boiling down its slopes and into nearby villages.

On Tuesday, strong explosions billowed ash up more than 16,000 feet (5,000 meters) above sea level and the dust was blowing east and northeast.

The institute said Tuesday evening that there was a moderate flow of dangerous volcanic material down the volcano, and warned of the possibility of a strong flow in some areas.

The country’s disaster agency issued new evacuation orders for some nearby communities by Tuesday afternoon, setting off a panicky flight by people that stalled traffic in some areas.

Also on Tuesday, the National Institute of Forensic Sciences raised the death toll from the volcano’s eruption to 75.

The disaster agency, meanwhile, said 192 people have been listed as missing

The institute said only 23 of the recovered bodies have been identified so far. It added that the searing hot volcanic material that covered communities near the volcano left many of the bodies unrecognizable so DNA testing or other methods will be necessary for identification.

Guatemala’s disaster agency has been calling for calm, but after receiving little or no warning before the volcano exploded last Sunday many people were not taking chances.

Dozens of people were seen walking along roadsides carrying children or a few belongings beside paralyzed traffic in parts of Escuintla township south of the volcano. Only some communities in Escuintla were under an evacuation order but even in the more distant central Escuintla businesses have closed and people were leaving.

The seismology and volcanology institute’s latest bulleting said the blowing ash could reach heights of about 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level. It also warned civil aviation authorities to closely monitor and take precautions regarding air traffic.

Pope Francis mourned the victims of the volcano eruption and sent his prayers for their families and the rescue crews trying to help survivors.

The Pope sent a telegram of condolence on Tuesday, saying he was “profoundly sorry” to learn of the high toll. He also said he wanted to express his “consolation to families who are weeping for the loss of their loved ones, as well as spiritual closeness to the wounded and those who are working to help.”

The Volcano of Fire has been in eruption since 2002. /kga