Lorry-sized boulders spew from Ecuador volcano as 300 people flee for their lives

Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano hurled lorry-sized pyroclastic boulders more than a mile in a powerful eruption that prompted at least 300 people to flee their homes, authorities said.

Schools were closed for a third straight day as ash showered down on a dozen towns in the sparsely populated area surrounding the 16,480-foot volcano.

Thundering explosions could be heard miles from Tungurahua, which is on the Andes cordillera 84 miles southeast of Ecuador's capital, Quito.

© Associated Press
Fireball: The Tungurahua Volcano spews ash and stones during an eruption which forced 300 people to flee from their homes

© Associated Press
Melting point: A huge ash cloud is formed after the volcano began hurling lorry-sized boulders from its tip

A state Geophysics Institute scientist monitoring the volcano from a nearby observation post said by phone that incandescent boulders were landing up to 1.2 miles beneath crater level.

'The smallest blocks are that size of an automobile while the biggest reach the size of a truck, which cause impact craters up to 10 meters (33 feet) wide as they hit the flanks,' the scientist, Silvana Hidalgo, told The Associated Press.

She called the eruption level 'moderate to high.'

Civil defence officials reported an intense shower of ash east of the volcano, including in Banos, a tourist destination three miles away that is popular for its hot springs.

The volcano has been active since 1999. At least four people were killed and thousands evacuated in eruptions in July and August of 2006.

© Associated Press
Blinding: The views of the eruption may be spectacular, but there is the very real fear that human lives are at risk as hundreds were forced to flee

© Associated Press
Smouldering: Officials reported an intense shower of ash east of the volcano, including in Banos, a tourist destination three miles away