Guatemala volcano blankets nearby villages with ash

One of Central America's most active volcanoes erupted in fiery explosions of ash and molten rock Sunday, killing at least seven people and injuring 20 while a towering cloud of smoke blanketed nearby villages in heavy ash. A volcano southwest of Guatemala's capital has erupted for the second time this year, setting off loud explosions and spewing ash nearly four miles (six kilometres) into the sky. The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction in Guatemala said Sunday that fiery clouds of smoke were billowing from the Volcan del Fuego and that soot blanketed cars and houses in the nearby villages of San Pedro Yepocapa and Sangre de Cristo. Lesser amounts of ash fell on Guatemala City, which is 44 kilometres (27 miles) from the volcano.