Guatemala volcanic eruption: Death toll touches 62

At least 62 people were killed after the volcano erupted Sunday, spewing a river of lava and plumes of smoke almost 6 miles into the air, Mirna Celedon, spokeswoman for Guatemala's Institute of Forensic Sciences was quoted as saying by CNN.

So far, 13 bodies have been identified.

3100 people have been rescued till now, media reports said.

Rescue operation is still going on.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his solidarity with the people of Guatemala, and said the Organization stands ready to support rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of a devastating volcanic eruption on Sunday, in the Central American nation.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson on Monday, the Secretary-General said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and significant damage caused” by the Fuego volcano, located in the south of the country, around 40 kilometres from the capital, Guatemala City.

Guterres also offered his condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the Government and people of Guatemala and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

The volcano also resulted in what are known as pyroclastic flows: deadly fast-moving currents of hot gas and volcanic matter. Ash spewed across a 15-kilometre radius, and as many as 1.7 million people are likely to be affected.

Image:  PNC Guatemala Twitter page