Elderly Man Dies as Ecuador Volcano Spews Ash on Capital
After menacing Quito for a year, Ecuadorean volcano Guagua Pichincha claimed its first victim Wednesday, an elderly man with respiratory problems who died after heavy ash fell over the capital.
A man and three women were hurt when they fell from the roofs of their homes trying to clean ash that had built up overnight, the Red Cross said.
Authorities said the 15,840-foot volcano had dumped 5,000 tons of ash on this city of 1.4 million people in the preceding 24 hours. The volcano, about six miles northwest of Quito, began spitting ash again Wednesday morning after spewing volcanic dust for five hours Tuesday.
The Red Cross said one elderly man died of respiratory problems aggravated by ash and that several other people were treated.
Officials have said the volcano may spew ash for months.
The last time Guagua Pichincha had a major eruption was in 1660.
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