Volcanic Eruptions in Ecuador

Report of 5 November 2002 Report of 4 November 2002 More information View photos of the ashfall in Quito on 4 November, 2002. View a clip of PAHO's recent video on the health effects of volcanoes. Read the accompanying guide.

At 5:00 a.m. on the morning of 3 November, the Reventador Volcano, situated 95 km. to the northeast of Quito, Ecuador in the province of Sucumbíos, erupted, producing a huge explosion and a cloud of ash that reached a height of 20 km.

The initial eruption was followed by subsequent explosions, the latest of which occured at 3 a.m. on 4 November. Hundreds of persons have been evacuated, primarily those working on the oil pipeline being constructed in the region. Fortunately, the affected area is sparsely populated; however, 1,200 families are living in the highly at-risk area and may have to be evacuated.

A cloud of ash has descended on the capital city of Quito and the country's central provinces (in addition to Pichincha, the eruption affected Imbabura, Cotopaxi, Orellana and Sucumbíos). The President declared a state of emergency in the affected region.

PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Health have sent emergency teams to the affected areas. The Ministry of Health has also set up Health Situation Rooms in the affected provinces and has sent mobile medical care units for those who require treatment. Although it is still too early to have received the final results of water samples taken in the affected area, tanker trucks have been deployed as a precautionary measure against contamination.

Ecuador's Geophysical Institute has reported that similar seismic activity could continue for the next several days.

Gallery of photographs