Thousands of people in eastern El Salvador are leaving their homes after a volcano erupted.
The Chaparrastique volcano is the third highest in the country. Photo: AFP
Residents in the coffee-producing region of the country say they heard a powerful explosion before the Chaparrastique volcano began spewing hot ash and smoke into the air about 10.30am on Sunday (local time).
Emergency services say no one has been hurt, but they will evacuate anyone living within three kilometres of the volcano, the BBC reports.
Civil protection authorities say that some 5000 people live in the area, in San Miguel province.
The government says it had been monitoring the situation since 13 December, when they detected increased activity inside the volcano.
There are more than 20 volcanoes in the small Central American nation.
At 2129 metres (7000 ft) above sea level, Chaparrastique is the third highest volcano in the country. It spewed lava in 1976 and caused a strong tremor in the area in 2010.
