Quito, May 9 --(EFE)-- A column of smoke rising 1,200 meters into the air was
reported Sunday above Mt. Guagua Pichincha, an active volcano at the foot of
which lies the Ecuadorian capital, city hall authorities said in a statement.

According to a Civil Defense official and a group of technicians from the
Geophysical Institute of the National Polytechnic School, water vapor activity
inside the volcano was very intense.

``The smoke reached an altitude of 1,200 meters. The noise coming from the
crater and the smell of sulfur were intense,'' the official statement received by EFE
explained.

The area remains on yellow alert and caution advisories have been issued in
areas near the volcano ``because unexpected freatic (water vapor) explosions can
occur,'' the document adds.

Authorities also said that five tectonic events were registered Sunday, two of long
duration and 15 hybrid tremors. In addition, an hour-long tremor was reported after
a small gas explosion at 3:43 a.m. (0843 GMT). EFE
 

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