Rescue workers pulled at least 10 people alive from ash and mud flows around Guatemala’s Volcan de Fuego on Monday. The country’s national disaster agency reported at least 62 people have died since the volcano exploded Sunday. Officials say the number is expected to rise. Volcan de Fuego means Volcano of Fire in English. It is one of several active volcanoes in Guatamala.

İt sits 44 kilometers west of Guatemala City, the country’s capital. Rescue workers walk on rooftops in Escuintla, Guatemala, Monday, June 4, 2018, blanketed with heavy ash spewed by the Volcan de Fuego, or "Volcano of Fire," pictured in the background, left center. Rescue workers walk on rooftops in Escuintla, Guatemala, Monday, June 4, 2018, blanketed with heavy ash spewed by the Volcan de Fuego, or "Volcano of Fire," pictured in the background, left center.

The volcano sits close to Antigua, a former capital during Spanish colonial rule. The United Nations has recognized the town as a UNESCO world heritage site. Ash fell Sunday on Guatemala City as well as nearby areas. Streets and houses in Antigua were also covered.

The explosion sent a huge cloud of ash several kilometers into the air. Extremely hot flows of ash mixed with water and debris, blocking some roads and burning homes. Volcan de Fuego, or Volcano of Fire, blows outs a thick cloud of ash, as seen from Alotenango, Guatemala, Sunday, June 3, 2018.

The land left behind was still too hot to touch or to recover bodies from many places. In some areas, rescue workers’ shoes even melted.

Alqismet BADALOV,
“Khalq qazeti”