Ecuador's Cotopaxi Volcano Loudly Clears Throat; President Declares Emergency
Mount Cotopaxi’s two almost-eruptions on Friday sent ash and rock spewing into the sky, prompting the country’s president to declare a state of emergency and evacuate 400 people from villages at the volcano’s base, according to government reports. The volcano has been dormant for decades, and although its activities made for spectacular images, it has not officially erupted. This video was shot from an aircraft circling Quito airport.Cotopaxi is about 30 miles south of Quito, Ecuador’s capital. “God willing, everything will go well and the volcano will not erupt,” President Rafael Correa said in his weekly address to the nation. Credit: Facebook/Michel Espinosa