Hundreds Flee Andean Volcano Eruption

View from Palitahua, Ecuador on May 29, 2010, of the Tungurahua volcano in eruption. Tungurahua volcano exploded into action Friday, forcing the evacuation of at least seven villages and closing down the airport and public schools in Guayaquil, the co Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images

Eruptions from the Tungurahua volcano in central Ecuador intensified Wednesday and the country’s National Geophysics Institute said it expects the eruptions to increase.

Debris from the explosion landed over half a mile below the volcano’s summit and some vapor columns shot up almost two miles into the air.

Hundreds of people at the volcano’s base fled their homes, scared by frequent explosions, seismic tremors and falling ash. An increase in activity began last Friday, forcing some 2,500 locals to flee their homes, according to Earth Times.

The explosions Wednesday rattled windows and shook floors according to El Comerico, a daily news source in the capital city Quinto.

Tungurahua, known as the “Throat of Fire,” is one of Ecuador’s Andean volcanos. It rises 16,470 feet, and has been erupting since 1999.