Friday, May 28, 2010

The Pacaya eruption, Guatemala

This Spanish language video is the last dispatch from Guatemalan journalist Anibal Archila before his death (QEPD).



In the report he talks of being as close as 60m from the lava flow and saying that the heat was almost unbearable. Shortly after filing this report on the scene of the Pacaya volcano eruption he was hit in the back by a flying rock from the eruption and disappeared from sight. Six hours later his body was found by rescuers. His is one of three deaths reported from the eruption, as well as many injured and some 15,000 evacuated people.

Meanwhile, President Colom of Guatemala has declared a 'State of Calamity' due to the eruption. Guatemala's main 'La Aurora' airport is closed due to ash falls on the runway and plenty more disruption to normal life is coming through.