President Colom said during a press conference that at least four people are missing after the eruption. Noti7 TV said one of its reporters, Anibal Archilla, was hit on the head by rocks and was one of the missing.
According to the TV channel, his body was found on early Friday. The others missing, three children were found alive.
Emergency services reported at least 20 people injured as volcanic debris fell on villages.
The eruption covered Guatemala City with ash, prompting local officials to close the La Aurora international airport until further notice.
Many more of Iceland’s volcanoes seem to be stirring
The Icelandic eruption that has caused misery for air travellers could be part of a surge in volcanic activity that will affect the whole of Europe for decades, scientists have warned.
They have reconstructed a timeline of 205 eruptions in Iceland, spanning the past 1,100 years, and found that they occur in regular cycles — with the relatively quiet phase that dominated the past five decades now coming to an end.
At least three other big Icelandic volcanoes are building towards an eruption, according to Thor Thordarson, a volcanologist at Edinburgh University.
“The frequency of Icelandic eruptions seems to rise and fall in a cycle lasting around 140 years,” he said. “In the latter part of the 20th century we were in a low period, but now there is evidence that we could be approaching a peak.”
His findings coincide with new warnings that the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, which has disrupted air traffic across Europe for several weeks, could carry on for many months — and possibly years.
Volcanic ash may force British airports to close again next week, the country’s Department of Transport said Saturday.
If a volcano in Iceland continues to erupt at current levels and if current weather conditions prevail, air travel in Britain could be disrupted between Sunday and Tuesday.
“The government is carefully monitoring this situation, and the safety of passengers will remain our paramount concern,” said Transport Secretary Philip Hammond.
The department said predictions remain fluid, urging passengers to check with airlines before taking any action.
British Airways said it would notify passengers of potential disruptions on its website.
Well, this post is totally inspired by the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano (pronounced AY-uh-full-ay-ho-kul) that brought chaos to Europe, paralyzing air communication and keeping millions of people trapped in the airports the last few days.
Photographers had gotten far closer to active volcanoes, sharks, edge of giant rocks and many magnificent places across the world. I would like to showcase 13 Jaw Dropping Eyjafjallajokull Volcano Photography, you won’t even wish you were there.
Why did the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland create so much ash? Although the large ash plume was not unparalleled in its abundance, its location was particularly noticeable because it drifted across such well populated areas.
The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland began erupting on March 20, with a second eruption starting under the center of a small glacier on April 14.
Neither eruption was unusually powerful. The second eruption, however, melted a large amount of glacial ice which then cooled and fragmented lava into gritty glass particles that were carried up with the rising volcanic plume.
Pictured below from early this week, lightning bolts illuminate ash pouring out of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
