Authorities evacuated hundreds of people living on the slopes of a
volcano in western El Salvador on Saturday after it spat large
rocks and ash from its crater during an early morning
explosion.
El Salvador's geological study center said the Ilamatepec volcano,
also known as Santa Ana, spat heavy rocks as far as 1.6km from its
crater.
The
government issued a red alert to nearby villages but no injuries
were reported.
Mauricio Cromeyer, who owns a house near the volcano, told Reuters
by phone that rocks about a metre wide were falling around his
property.
Situated in a major coffee-growing area 64 km west of San Salvador,
Ilamatepec, the largest of the country's 23 volcanoes, has been
increasingly active since July 2004 but has not erupted since
1904.
There were no immediate reports of damage to coffee crops.