Volcan del Fuego which erupted in the nearby city of Antigua, Guatemala has become a major tourist draw for the colonial town.
The city is known for its picturesque cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture, has now become a place for tourists to visit and try and get close to the volcano. Authorities have ordered more than 33,000 people to be evacuated.
Nilton Dasilva a tourist from Illinois said to the AP, Now that we know it erupted, we're going to try to stop on the way and maybe take some pictures."
Though tourists may think of it as something interesting to visit while on vacation, villagers who were living at the foot of the volcano were awoken on Thursday by the eruptions that covered the surrounding sugar cane fields with ash.
Volcan del Fuego is also only 50 km south-west of Guatemala city.
The volcano started spewing lava which prompted authorities to order evacuations in the area.
Still many people have refused to leave their homes. Authorities have set up a shelter at an elementary school in Santa Lucia, which hosted nearly 750 people
Sergio Cabanas , Guatemala's head of emergency evacuations told the AP that the ash was going south-shoutheastward and authorities said that Antigua was not currently in danger.
Officials have said that lava rolled nearly 2,000 feet down approximately 12,346 foot high slopes and that lava was covering a 7km area on the suth and south western side of the volcano.
The 3,760 m tall volcano is one of Central America's most acvice volcanoes.
The authorities recommended that air traffic controllers suspend flights in the vicinity of the volcano, as the ash cloud emanating from its crater was spreading quickly.
The 3,760m-tall (12,336ft) Fuego is one of Central America's most active volcanoes. This is its biggest eruption since 1999.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
