This Tuesday, April 28, the Insivumeh issued a bulletin regarding the activity of the Santiaguito volcano, in Quetzaltenango.
He recalled that a bulletin published on March 6 recently identified several areas with unstable accumulated material due to the extrusion of lava in blocks of the colossus.
He added that, at 2:40 a.m. this Tuesday, pyroclastic flows that were recorded by the multiparametric monitoring network had descended and that possibly extended in a range of two to four kilometers down the slope.
Cloud cover completely covers the volcanic edifice, so this activity has not been observed by the surrounding communities, although they do report the presence of ash on crops and roofs.
The decrease in pyroclastic flows has produced very fine ash, which has been dispersed in a west and southwest direction, and part of this has fallen moderately on farms and communities located on the south and southwest flanks of the volcano.
The Insivumeh explained that the current activity is accompanied by permanent degassing and mainly weak explosions that form columns of gas and ash up to a thousand meters high above the dome. The rate of explosions is up to three per hour.
It added that it maintains visual and instrumental surveillance of volcanic activity through its observers in the field, seismic and infrasound stations, web cameras and satellite image products.
It predicts that the volcano will continue with explosions, continuous degassing, incandescence in the main zone of magma extrusion and descent of incandescent blocks on the west, southwest, south and northeast flanks during the following weeks.
Classes suspended in two municipalities
The Ministry of Education reported the suspension of classes in the Palajunoj area, which includes educational establishments located in the municipalities of El Palmar and San Martín Sacatepéquez, Quetzaltenango.
He added that, given the strong activity of the volcano, the Departmental Directorate of Education of Quetzaltenango, in coordination with the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred), has decided to suspend classes only this Tuesday, April 28 in establishments, to protect the health and physical integrity of students and teachers.
Increase in explosions
The Guatemalan Volcanic Surveillance Observatory reported that the Xela seismic station recorded an increase in explosions at the Santiaguito volcano during April.
Currently, the colossus maintains a range of 45 to 53 explosions per day. This activity can cause columns of ash, falling ballistics (incandescent material of various sizes) and avalanches.
He explained that due to the constant accumulation of volcanic material to the southwest, during the early hours of April 28, the decrease of pyroclastic density currents to the southwest was recorded. This activity generated columns of fine ash which were transported by the wind to the south, southwest and west.
Recommendations
Activity in the #SantiaguitoVolcano generates ash fall in the surrounding communities, it is important that the following recommendations be taken into account and report any situation to the national emergency number 119. pic.twitter.com/ZY7fuTtxvF
— CONRED (@ConredGuatemala) April 28, 2026
Video: Claudio Sarat
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