(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) At least 200 people have been evacuated after a volcano in Ecuador erupted and spewed ash miles into the air. The Geophysics Institute reported that the "strong explosion" at the Tungurahua volcano could be felt hundreds of miles away, according to the (Sky News). It spewed stones, gases and ash more than 5km about (3.1 miles) into the sky, authorities said. The clouds of ash and gas could be seen as far away as the capital Quito, about 153km north of the volcano. There were no reported deaths, according to local media. Authorities declared an "orange alert," the second highest warning level after red, following the eruption at 6.47am local time on Sunday. Residents were evacuated from villages in areas near the volcano on the eastern Andean range, said Lourdes Mayorga from the National Risk Management Secretariat. Some residents had issues evacuating because of the volcanic rocks and minor flooding following heavy rains. After remaining dormant for eight decades, Tungurahua rumbled back to life in 1999 and has been active ever since.
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