Ecuador Volcano Tungurahua Erupts And Explodes

At least 200 people have been forced to leave their homes after a volcano in Ecuador erupted and spewed ash miles into the air.

The "strong explosion" at the Tungurahua volcano could be felt hundreds of miles away, the Geophysics Institute reported.

It spewed stones, gases and ash more than 5km (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 (95 miles) 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.

Villages near the volcano on the eastern Andean range were evacuated, said Lourdes Mayorga from the National Risk Management Secretariat.

Some residents had problems leaving because of the volcanic rocks and minor flooding following heavy rains.

After remaining dormant for eight decades, Tungurahua - which means "throat of fire" - rumbled back to life in 1999 and has been active ever since.