Ecuadorian Volcanoes Explode

April 18, 2000 -- Two Ecuadorian volcanoes, Guagua Pichincha and Tungurahua, erupted on Sunday, forcing officials to issue alerts for communities near the bases of both mountains.

Guagua Pichincha spewed clouds of vapor 1,640 feet into the sky over the capital Quito. Volcanologists at the Geophysical Institute of the National Polytechnic School warned that the 15,728-foot-high volcano, located six miles to the west of Quito, could experience a major eruption in coming days.

Volcanic boulders and magma also burst from snow-covered Tungurahua, the largest volcano in Ecuador, on Sunday. The nearby city of Banos as well as other neighboring communities were put on alert. -earth alert