A volcano has erupted on uninhabited Fernandina Island, at the far west of Ecuador's Galapagos Island chain, Ecuador's Geophysics Institute reported Wednesday. The National Galapagos Park authorities said the eruption began at 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday following a 5.2-degree Richter Scale earthquake in the Beagle sector of Isabella island on the western flank of the volcano Darwin.
The Chico volcano on Isabela island, in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, erupted late Saturday with a powerful explosion that spewed rivers of lava and a column of steam 20km high. The nearby main town, Puerto Villamil, 25km away, was left unscathed by lava flows Residents of the island's main town felt the explosion. Three lava flows were slowly making their way toward the sea but they did not threaten the town. The last time the Chico volcano erupted was in 1978, and its lava flows had not endangered inhabitants.
The Galapagos Islands, an archipelago situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000km from the South American continent and famed for their rich wildlife, such as giant tortoises, draw tourists from around the world. They were placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1978. The most recent volcano eruption in the chain occurred in May on the unpopulated island of Fernandina.