Officials in El Salvador are continuing the evacuation of people living on the slopes of San Miguel volcano, the BBC reported Wednesday, after geologists suggested Sunday's unexpected eruption was not a one-off event.
When San Miguel - also known as Chaparrastique - erupted unexpectedly Sunday morning, officials ordered the evacuation of villages within a 3 kilometer range of the summit as gas and ash shot about 5,000 meters in the air.
Thousands of people were forced to evacuate and airlines canceled dozens of flights into and out of the country.
Since Sunday, the volcano has been emitting gasses, and that a further increase in sulfur dioxide emissions could be a signal that another eruption will occur.
"Officials from the Salvadoran environment ministry said there was a risk the volcano could erupt again, this time emitting a lava flow," the BBC reported.
More than 2,000 people evacuated the mountainside when Chaparrastique erupted, but nearly half of them have gone against official advice and returned to their homes, according to the BBC.
Sunday was the first time Chaparrastique erupted in 37 years. There have been no reports of serious injuries or damage. Two people were reportedly treated at a local hospital for respiratory problems apparently linked to the volcanic eruption.
"We are providing assistance to people evacuating, and we are asking them to protect themselves against the gases, which can affect the respiratory tract," Assistant Health Minister Eduardo Espinoza said, according a report by The Associated Press.
The volcano, 2,000-meter stratovolcano, is located about 15 kilometers southwest of the city of San Miguel, one of the largest cities in El Salvador. The eruption occurred about 145 kilometers east of San Salvador, the nation's capital.
El Salvador's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources reported the eruption began Sunday at 10:30 a.m., according to a CNN report.
The last significant eruption of Chaparrastique was in 1976.