More than 25 dead as huge volcanic eruption buries people alive in Guatemala

Meatpie

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Video posted on YouTube shows the start of the eruption

A huge volcanic eruption has engulfed homes and fields across three towns in Guatemala, killing at least 25 people with local officials warning the death toll is expected to rise.

Volcan de Fuego, whose name means "Volcano of Fire", spewed an 8km (5-mile) stream of red hot lava and belched a thick plume of black smoke and ash that rained onto the capital and other regions.



Rescue agencies estimate around 300 people have been injured, but they have struggled to reach rural areas cut off by the eruption. Authorities have been unable to account for an undetermined number of people and say whole villages remain unaccounted for.
 
Photos of injured kids in Volcan de Fuego Eruption Today

 
Ouch! I hate burning injuries, poor kids.
I'm puzzled by this eruption - the BBC is calling it a lava flow, but the footage looks more a pyroclastic flow, and it seems to have moved far too fast for any normal lava flow.
 
Thanks DD. More victims of Volcan de Fuego, authorities say more than 200 people are still missing.


 
Thanks Meatpie.
The info here is still a bit confused, but it seems clear the casualties were caused by pyroclastic flows, plus perhaps hot lahars (mud-flows of volcanic ash), though there's probably some lava flows as well.
Footage and good report here
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/04/guatemala-fuego-volcano-erupts-dead-missing
and
https://www.theguardian.com/global/...after-fuego-volcano-erupts-in-guatemala-video

And various BBC items listed on
https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Volcano
of which this probably gives the best info on the actual eruption
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-44369461
Some of these should be accessible to non-UK members, by the way.
 
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