At least 25 people were killed when Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupted Sunday, belching ash and rock and forcing the airport to close, the country's disaster agency said.
"The toll was 25 dead as of 9:00 pm (0300 GMT)," the spokesman for the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred) said in a WhatsApp group.
At least another 20 people have been injured in the eruption, the second major one this year from the 3,763 metre (12,346 feet) peak.
A view of an eruption of the Fuego volcano in Alotenango, Sacatepequez, Guatemala, 03 June 2018. Source: AAP
Farmers covered in ash fled for their lives as civil defense staffers tried to relocate them to shelters during the event.
Dense ash blasted out by the volcano shut down Guatemala City's international airport, civil aviation said.
Workers were cleaning ash off the runways to get the airport operating again.
Guatemala has two other active volcanoes, Santiaguito (west) and Pacaya (just south of the capital).
The active volcano is located some 25 miles (40 km) southwest of the capital Guatemala City and is close to the colonial city of Antigua, popular with tourists and known for its coffee plantations.
Workers and guests were evacuated from the La Reunion golf club near Antigua. A video circulating on social media showed a black cloud of ash rising from just beyond the golf club. The lava river was running on the other side of the volcano.
The huge plumes of smoke that could be seen from various parts of the country and the ash that rained down in four of Guatemala’s departments caused some alarm among residents.
Officials initially asked residents to remain calm.
David de Leon, spokesman for the National Disaster Prevention Authority said a change in wind was to blame for the volcanic ash falling on parts of the city.
