The tallest mountain in the Galápagos islands has erupted, spewing lava down its flanks and clouds of ash over the Pacific Ocean, according to Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute.
A cloud of gas and ash from Wolf Volcano rose to 3,793 meters (12,444 feet) above sea level after the eruption that began shortly before midnight on Wednesday local time, the institute said.
There was no immediate danger to populated areas, which are located at the opposite side of Isabela island, the largest in the Galápagos chain. But the environment ministry said eight people, including national park guards and scientists doing field work on pink iguanas living on the volcano’s slopes, were evacuated from the area.
The 1,701-meter volcano is one of numerous active volcanos in the Galápagos, which are nearly 1,000km (600 miles) from mainland South America.
Images taken from afar and circulated by the government showed glowing lava piercing through the pre-dawn darkness.
The volcano last erupted in 2015.