By Xinhua,
Bogota : Thousands of people have been evacuated after a volcano erupted in southwestern Colombia.
The Galeras Volcano erupted twice in the past two days.
The latest eruption occurred Monday following the first explosion Sunday, spewing smoke and sending ashes down to the nearby city of Pasto, officials said.
There was no report of casualties or material damage, Lina Dorado, director of the Narino Department Emergency Committee, said.
The 4,276-meter-high volcano erupted mildly Sunday morning which had forced the evacuation of around 8,000 people living in the vicinity, the official said.
The National Geology and Mining Institute declared a red alert after the first eruption.
Colombia has 38 volcanoes, 15 of which are active.
The Galeras volcano erupted in the early 1990s after a long period of dormancy. In 1993, nine people have been killed in an eruption, which was by far the most serious.