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Hikers Pelted by Falling Volcanic Rocks on Guatemala’s Fuego Ridge

Viral video shows tourists struck or narrowly missed by glowing debris, highlighting the risks of close-range treks on an often-active volcano.

Overview

  • Video and multiple eyewitness accounts show tourists on the Fuego ridge scrambling for cover as pieces of molten rock and volcanic debris rained down during an eruption.
  • Hiker Hana García said a glowing fragment burned a large hole through her coat and passed close to her head, and footage shows people running and one person scooping up a dog to safety.
  • Reports so far describe damage to clothing and near-misses but do not include confirmed fatalities or a formal incident report from Guatemalan authorities in the coverage provided.
  • Scientists and reporting note that Volcán de Fuego is frequently active at low levels, producing small explosions of ash and gas on short intervals, and it produced deadly pyroclastic flows in a major 2018 eruption.
  • The episode underscores safety risks for tourists who take the strenuous Fuego ridge add-on to the Acatenango trek and could prompt calls for clearer guidance or tighter controls on close-up volcano visits.