Steam and ash can be seen spewing from Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano.
Ecuadorian officials ordered 3,000 villagers to evacuate their homes near the slopes of Tungurahua volcano as the mountain shot columns of searing debris miles into the air, killing five people.
The 16,480-foot (5,023-metre) giant located 80 miles (130 km) southeast of the capital, Quito, blasted lava, boulders and clouds of ash into the air throughout most of Wednesday.
Five nearby villages were heavily damaged and 1,450 people were evacuated, the El Universo newspaper reported.
Experts at the country’s Geophysics Institute warned that the recent intense activity shows no sign of abating.
A massive eruption of Tungurahua in 2006 buried entire villages in ash, leaving at least four dead and thousands homeless.
Photo: Government of Ecuador
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