Volcano begins to erupt in eastern El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Authorities in El Salvador are warning residents near the Chaparrastique volcano in the eastern part of the country to be alert as it begins to erupt. The Environmental Ministry’s observatory reported explosions Monday in the central crater of the volcano about 83 miles east of the capital. The ministry says the eruption’s intensity was a 1 on a scale from 0 to 8. The eruption began Sunday when the volcano launched rock and ash to areas surrounding the crater. No injuries have been reported. Civil Defense Director Luis Alonso Amaya says three municipalities are on alert.