State of emergency is declared as volcano near Ecuador capital spews ash

President Rafael Correa has declared a state of emergency in Ecuador as fears grew of a major eruption from the Cotopaxi volcano near the capital, Quito. His decree gives authorities more flexibility in using government funds to deal with any problems. He said: "Why have I made that decision? To secure resources … to address a potential emergency and mobilize the necessary resources.“ Hundreds of people have been moved out of their villages near the volcano as a precaution. Authorities in the region maintained a yellow alert – a mid-range warning – and said it would remain as long as Cotopaxi continued to stir.

God willing, everything will go well and the volcano will not erupt.

President Rafael Correa

Eruptions beginning Friday have shot ash more than two miles (5km) into the sky, spreading fine gray powder over roads, homes and cars in the region as far as the capital 30 miles (50km) to the north. Further ash explosions and some pyroclastic flows on the 5,897m volcano’s western slopes on Saturday led officials to evacuate some nearby villages. Cotopaxi is considered one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes because of a glacial cover that makes it prone to fast-moving volcanic rock and mud flows, known as lahares. It last had a major eruption in 1877.

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