Guatemala's 'Volcano of Fire' eruptions kill dozens

Guatemala's Volcan de Fuego, or "Volcano of Fire," suddenly began erupting on Sunday, taking authorities and local residents by surprise. The 3,763-meter (12,346-foot) volcano has been spewing out clouds of dense ash and molten rock fragments.

Mourners in San Juan Alotenago carry the bodies of loved ones who lost their lives in the disaster. The eruptions have killed at least 75 people so far and injured another 46 people, with half of them in serious condition, officials said.

Working against an almost black-and-white backdrop, rescue workers attempt to dig out an area covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash. Officials said 192 people are still unaccounted since the volcano began erupting. Rescuers have been hampered by inclement conditions, destroyed roads and new volcanic flows.

The normally lush, green communities in the danger zone around the volcano, like this one in Escuintla, were covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash following the eruptions. The first eruption on Sunday largely destroyed the villages of El Rodeo and San Miguel Los Lotes.

Over 3,000 people in the area around the volcano had to be evacuated, with some 1.7 million people in total affected by the disaster. Frightened residents fleeing the area on Tuesday clogged the roads and took few possessions with them, concerned about warnings of fresh volcanic flows.

Even days after the initial explosion, certain areas were still too hot for rescuers to search for survivors or bodies. Besides ash, the volcanic eruption triggered "pyroclastic flows." These fast-moving flows bring with them dangerous gas emissions, fiery rock fragments and boiling-hot mud.

Rescuers also managed to save some dogs and birds from communities affected by the eruptions, although many cows and other livestock were found dead. Several days after the Volcano of Fire first erupted, Guatemala remained on high alert, with President Jimmy Morales calling on locals to remain calm.