A powerful volcanic eruption has triggered mass evacuations on April 13, 2024, as national and regional authorities moved tens of thousands of residents out of hazard zones in response to explosive activity, pyroclastic flows, and a rapidly expanding ash cloud over populated areas. The eruption — the largest recorded at this volcano in decades — began in the overnight hours and escalated rapidly through the early morning, prompting the activation of the highest tier of the national emergency response framework.

Scientists at the national volcanological observatory had been tracking a steady increase in activity at the volcano for weeks, and alert levels had been raised incrementally as seismicity, ground deformation, and gas emissions intensified. When the first major explosive phase began shortly after midnight, the observatory triggered the top alert level and coordinated with civil protection authorities to implement pre-planned evacuation measures across the zones most likely to be affected by pyroclastic density currents, lahars, and heavy ashfall.

Evacuations on a Scale Rarely Seen

The scale of the evacuation has been striking. By mid-morning, regional authorities reported that tens of thousands of residents had been moved out of the most exposed communities, with the operation still expanding as further phases of the eruption unfolded. Buses, private vehicles, military transports, and in a smaller number of cases helicopters, have been used to move residents out of hazard zones and into shelters in unaffected areas.

Evacuation routes had been identified and rehearsed in the weeks preceding the eruption, and the vast majority of evacuations proceeded smoothly once the orders were issued. Local authorities had prepared lists of residents requiring assistance — older people, people with mobility limitations, hospital patients, residents dependent on specific medical equipment — and dedicated teams were deployed to ensure that these groups could be safely relocated. Hospitals in the hazard zone were emptied of non-critical patients in advance, and those requiring continued care were transferred to regional facilities.

Shelters established in schools, community halls, sports arenas, and conference venues in unaffected cities began receiving evacuees through the early morning. The national Red Cross, supported by volunteer organisations, community groups, and religious institutions, has been working around the clock to register arrivals, provide food and bedding, coordinate medical care, and identify residents with particular needs.

The Eruption Itself

The current phase of the eruption has included a series of powerful explosive pulses that have produced a sustained ash column rising to estimated altitudes of more than twelve kilometres. Pyroclastic density currents — fast-moving flows of hot gas, ash, and rock — have descended several of the volcano's flanks in the past 24 hours, reaching lowland areas in some cases and destroying terrain and structures in their path. Fortunately, the areas most affected by the flows had already been evacuated, and no civilian casualties from the flows themselves have been reported at the time of writing.

Volcanic ash has been deposited over a wide area downwind of the vent, with significant ashfall reported across dozens of towns and villages. In the hardest-hit communities, ash accumulations have reached several centimetres, producing visible risks of roof collapse, contamination of water supplies, and severe disruption to transport and daily life. Further from the volcano, lighter ashfall has still been sufficient to trigger air quality warnings, school closures, and cancellations of outdoor activities.

Lahars — mudflows composed of volcanic ash mixed with water — are a particular concern in the coming days, especially if rainfall occurs over ash-covered hillsides. Lahars can travel great distances from the volcano along river valleys and can be extraordinarily destructive. Civil protection authorities have been issuing continuous guidance about lahar risks and have established monitoring in downstream communities.

Aviation and International Response

The eruption has caused significant disruption to international aviation, with the ash cloud drifting into major air routes and triggering closures or restrictions across wide swaths of airspace. Airlines have cancelled or rerouted hundreds of flights, and major regional airports have been affected, with tens of thousands of travellers disrupted. Civil aviation authorities have coordinated with volcanic ash advisory centres to issue and update forecasts of the ash cloud's trajectory, allowing airlines to plan around the most hazardous areas.

Offers of international assistance have been received from multiple partner countries and from multilateral institutions. Specialised volcanic monitoring teams, humanitarian logistics capacity, and relief supplies have been offered, and national authorities are coordinating acceptance and deployment through established channels. International scientific cooperation has been particularly intensive, with volcanologists from partner countries providing additional analytical capacity and specialist expertise to the observatory.

Government Response

The national government has activated the highest tier of its emergency response framework, deploying military, civil protection, and specialist personnel in support of the regional response. The head of government has visited the evacuation reception area, meeting with evacuees and with the officials coordinating the response, and has confirmed that full national resources will be committed to the emergency for as long as required.

Regional authorities have been coordinating evacuation management, shelter operations, welfare support, and the longer-term planning for displaced populations. Education, transport, and public service operations have been adjusted across the affected area, and ongoing coordination with neighbouring regions — some of which are hosting evacuees and providing additional resources to the response — has been organised through the national emergency framework.

A Community Displaced

For the tens of thousands of residents displaced by the eruption, the immediate experience has been one of sudden dislocation and deep uncertainty. Families left homes with whatever they could carry. Farmers were forced to leave livestock that could not be moved on short notice. Business owners closed their doors without knowing when — or whether — they would be able to return. Community leaders, religious figures, and local elected officials accompanied their communities into evacuation and have been working since to support them through the first difficult hours and days.

The response from the communities receiving evacuees has been one of significant solidarity. Local residents have offered spare rooms to displaced families. Restaurants have provided meals. Schools have arranged emergency enrolments. Religious institutions have opened their doors for shelter and for pastoral support. The scale of the mutual aid has been one of the defining features of the first day of the response.

Mental health services have been integrated into the response from the outset. Counsellors have been deployed to shelters and to hospital reception areas, working alongside medical and logistical staff to support evacuees through the psychological stress of the event. Authorities have emphasised that psychosocial support will continue to be available for as long as needed, recognising that the trauma of evacuation — compounded by uncertainty about homes, possessions, and livelihoods — will persist long after the physical response ends.

Scientific Monitoring

Scientists at the national volcanological observatory have been operating continuously since the escalation of the eruption, and the monitoring network around the volcano has been providing detailed real-time data on seismicity, ground deformation, gas emissions, and the evolution of the ash column. International collaboration has been expanded, with partner institutions providing additional satellite imagery, remote sensing, and analytical capacity.

Scientists have cautioned that the current eruption is still evolving and that its future trajectory remains uncertain. Eruptions of this scale can continue for weeks or months, with alternating periods of intense activity and relative quiet. The observatory has committed to providing public updates at regular intervals and to escalating warnings promptly if conditions suggest a change in the level of hazard. Evacuation zones, lahar hazard zones, and ashfall forecasts will continue to be updated as the event develops.

Looking Ahead

The days and weeks ahead will be shaped by the continued behaviour of the volcano and by the response of authorities and communities to whatever the eruption produces. Evacuation zones will be maintained while the hazard persists and will be reviewed only in consultation with the scientific monitoring network. Shelter and welfare operations will continue for as long as displaced residents require them. Aviation, transport, and economic activity in the affected region will remain disrupted while conditions warrant.

The longer-term recovery — when the eruption eventually ends — will involve the clean-up of ash from affected communities, the repair or rebuilding of damaged infrastructure, the rehabilitation of agricultural land, and the eventual return of evacuated residents to homes that may have been altered or damaged by the event. In some cases, affected communities may face difficult decisions about whether it remains safe to rebuild in place, or whether longer-term relocation will be necessary. These are not decisions for today, but they will be part of the difficult conversations that follow in the months and years ahead.

For now, however, the focus remains simpler and more urgent: protect life, support those who have been displaced, manage the immediate hazards posed by the ongoing eruption, and maintain the scientific monitoring on which the response depends. The scale of the evacuation — one of the largest ever undertaken in response to a volcanic eruption in the region — reflects the seriousness with which authorities have treated the threat, and the depth of preparedness work that made it possible to move so many people so quickly. In the difficult days and weeks to come, that preparedness will continue to be tested. Based on the first 24 hours, it has been a response equal to the challenge.