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Guatemala closes international airport due to volcanic ash

by AFP Staff Writers Guatemala City (AFP) March 23, 2021 AFP
Guatemala on Monday suspended operations from its only international airport due to ash falling from the constant eruptions of the Pacaya volcano.

"Due to the change of wind direction from the south to the north and the increase in the Pacaya's volcanic activity, there is volcanic ash in the La Aurora airport, which is the reason that operations have been closed to take care of safety," Francis Argueta, the country's civil aeronautic chief, wrote on Twitter.

The volcano, which stands at more than 2,500 meters and lies 25 kilometers to the south of the capital Guatemala City, has been spewing out ash and lava close to populated areas for the last month.

Authorities have not revealed how many flights or passengers have been affected by the suspension.

Security services said they will continue to monitor the communities worst affected by falling ash and small rocks, although there have been no mass evacuations reported so far.

A powerful eruption of the Pacaya volcano in May 2010 killed a television journalist covering the event.

Guatemala has 30 volcanos including two other active ones.

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