Ecuador's Cotopaxi volcano roars back to life, locals speak of lava flow fears and damage to touris

PHOTO: Cotopaxi volcano also erupted earlier this week, sending plumes of ash into the sky.

Ecuador's Cotopaxi volcano has this week roared back into life, delivering its first significant eruption in more than 70 years and raining ash down on the capital Quito, 50 kilometres away.

Now there are fears that pyroclastic rock and gas flows could melt the ice on the glacier-capped peak and flood nearby towns with volcanic mud.

The last time that happened was in 1877, with fatal results.

Over the past week, Cotopaxi, one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes, has continued to deliver smaller eruptions, with the government confirming another eruption this morning local time.

"Cotopaxi is considered one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes due to its proximity to population centres and very explosive activity, coupled with a tremendous potential for devastating volcanic mudflows, called lahars, which are formed by rapid melting of the icecap," the University of Bristol's Dr Jo Gottsmann said.

"A large lahar generated by the 1877 eruption travelled over 326 kilometres to the Pacific coast. Along its path lies the Valle de Los Chillos, which nowadays sees more than 200,000 people living along the lahar channels."

The government this week warned that 325,000 people were at risk and declared a state of emergency. Reporting about the volcano has also been restricted.

While some people have welcomed the government's efforts, others have criticised the response.

The last big eruption lasted three years, but if it is like Tungurahua volcano (south of Cotopaxi), it could last 16 years.

"We feel abandoned by the government," one woman, who asked to be identified as Gabrielle (not her real name), said.

"We watch the news for information and there isn't a single story about the volcano, yet I watched as it erupted again today."

Gabrielle lives in Santa Rita, just 15 kilometres from Cotopaxi's crater and up river from the provincial capital of Latacunga, which has been destroyed on three occasions by Cotopaxi. The last time was by volcanic mudflows during the 1877 eruption.

"In Latacunga, there was panic after the eruption on Saturday. People were evacuating but there was no information so the people panicked," Gabrielle said.

"There are no evacuation plans here, no help from the government, police or civil service. The community is working together and we had our first evacuation exercise last night. But we don't know where we are supposed to evacuate to."

PHOTO: Mario Gonsales is unfazed about the major eruption as he sells his milk in Saquisilì market, Ecuador.