Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano spews ash after explosion
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E-mail Xinhua, April 15, 2014
Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano spewed 5-km column of ash after a loud explosion due to an increase in its eruptive activity, but no one was injured, authorities said Monday.
The blast occurred at 8:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) and was one of the "strongest eruptive process," the National Secretariat for Risk Management of Ecuador (SNGR) said on its Twitter account. "There are no reports of people, animals, or plantations affected so far."
The explosion was heard in the Andean city of Ambato and the vibration broke windows in the province of Tungurahua, said the SNGR.
In addition, two millimeters of fine gravel in diameter was reported falling in the town of Pillate, about seven km west of the volcano, it added.
Local authorities have taken a set of precautionary measures against possible eruption. Tungurahua Volcano Observatory remains monitoring through the Early Warning System. Meanwhile, military and police personnel are prepared for a possible mobilization of people in the area influenced by the volcano.
The 5,029-meter volcano, nearly 135 km south of Quito, revived on Feb. 1, with eruptions accompanied by pyroclastic flows. Tungurahua is among the eight active volcanoes in Ecuador, which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire that makes it prone to volcanic eruptions.
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