Emergency declared in Ecuador as volcano erupts

The government of Ecuador has declared a nationwide state of emergency as a precaution following the recent eruption of Cotopaxi volcano in Quito, Bloomberg reported.

Cotopaxi started erupting on Aug. 14 and has resulted in preventative evacuations in towns south of Quito.

A series of volcanic explosions have sent ash clouds as high as 5 kilometers into the air.

Ecuador's geophysical institute, IGEPN, has said that Cotopaxi is likely to continue erupting with larger explosions in the short to mid-term as magma rises toward the volcano's surface.

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