The active summit of Ecuador's Tungurahua Volcano as seen from the north in November 2004.
Explosions from within Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano sent ash soaring high above the Andes, but the activity was not considered a threat to those living in the area.
Vulcanologists warned people living along nearby riverbanks to be alert for lava flows should the mountain erupt.
In February, 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.
A massive eruption of Tungurahua in 2006 buried entire villages in ash, leaving at least four dead and thousands homeless.
Tungurahua, which means “throat of fire” in the Quichua language, has been erupting off and on since 1999.
Photo: Martin Zeise - Wikimedia Commons
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