Guatemala's Pacaya volcano erupted yesterday, covering the capital with a cloud of black ash that closed the airport, forcing villagers to evacuate and reportedly killing one person.
Four people were reported missing amid the eruption.
Volcanologists measured plumes of ash reaching almost 5,000 feet above the volcano's peak.
Debris from the eruption rained ash and small rocks on the capital, coating the streets in a layer of black sand.
"We have 1,600 confirmed evacuees and 600 of them are already in emergency shelters," Alejandro Maldonado, head of the country's disaster relief service, known as CONRED, said.
President Alvaro Colom told a news conference that four people were missing, including a journalist filming on the volcano with colleagues when it erupted and three children aged 10, 9 and 7.
Colom declared a state of emergency for the area near the volcano, which is 25 miles (40 km) from Guatemala City.
Civil aviation authorities closed the country's main La Aurora international airport.
"The sand is falling on the runway and we need to clear it before any planes can land for safety reasons," said Monica Monje of the country's aviation authority.
Ms Monje said officials would decide whether it was safe to reopen the airport by midday today.
Pacaya, which is near Antigua where some of Guatemala's highest quality coffee is grown, has been continuously active since the 1960s but has not showered the surrounding area in small rocks and ash since 1998.
Reuters