Ash From Sangay Volcano Falls on 3 Ecuadorean Provinces

In the early hours of Friday, the Sangay volcano released a large cloud of ash that reached 8 kilometers above the crater and fell in nearby provinces, according to Ecuador's Geophysical Institute (IG).

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So far, the most affected provinces are Chimborazo, Bolivar, Los Rios, and Guayas, which are located to the west of the volcano, since the wind carried the ash particles towards the Pacific Ocean.

While the greatest impacts of the ash fall were registered in the municipality of Guamote in Chimborazo, the intensity of contamination by ash is moderate in the municipality of Chillanes in Bolívar and slight in the municipality of Babahoyo in Los Ríos.

The General Secretariat of Risks recommended that Ecuadorians living in the affected areas wear a mask and protective glasses to avoid affecting the respiratory tract.

The tweet reads, "In Los Rios, ashes from the Sangay Volcano fell in Babahoyo."

According to IG scientists, the proportions of this ash emission are similar to what was observed during the most active pulses of the current eruptive period of the volcano.

However, this morning's ash eruption was the largest event recorded in recent days, where gas and ash emissions from the crater have been constant.

With an altitude of 5,230 meters above sea level and erupting since 2019, the Sangay volcano is on a mountainous branch of the Andes mountain range that enters the Amazon.

Currently, the Cotopaxi and El Reventador volcanoes, both located less than 90 kilometers from the capital city Quito, are also active in this South American country.