Guatemala declares Fuego volcano eruption over, evacuees return home

The eruption of Guatemala's Fuego volcano officially ended on Wednesday, the country's Institute of Volcanology reported. Central America's most active volcano began spitting lava and ash on Monday, forcing over 1,700 people to flee the area. Activity at the crater, located 35 kilometers (22 miles) away from Guatemala City, officially ended two days later, according to national experts. "After 50 hours...the eruption has ended," the insitute stated, recommending that precautions remain in place due to large quantities of ash and possible deluges of burning debris. Guatemalan emergency services declared it safe for evacuated residents to go home after the eruption died down. "It is now safe to return," Conred emergency services director Claudine Ogaldes told a press conference. "We are no longer asking people to evacuate," she said, urging communities to "take precautions, because at any moment it could erupt again." An emergency services spokesperson earlier stated that some evacuees had already voluntarily returned to their homes. From Monday onwards, lava had spewed down Fuego's slopes, while plumes of ash rose up to six kilometers high into the red sky. Terrifying scenes of lava...