Date: 31-May-10
Country: ECUADOR
Author: Alexandra Valancia & Cristina Munoz
An eruption by Ecuador's "Throat of Fire" volcano abated on Saturday, leading authorities to start allowing 2,500 evacuees to return home and announce plans to reopen a major airport later in the day.
"The volcano has lowered its intensity ... there is less ash," said Sandra Vaca, an official at Ecuador's Geophysical Institute.
Residents of rural villages close to 5,020-meter (16,500-foot) Tungurahua were evacuated on Friday and the airport in the coastal city of Guayaquil was closed.
Ash particles can cause serious damage if sucked into airplane engines. An Icelandic volcano caused widespread disruption and major losses for airlines after flights were grounded for days in Europe in mid-April.
Some of the evacuated villagers began to return to their homes on Saturday and the airport was due to reopen in the afternoon after the runway was swept of volcanic ash.
Tungurahua, which means "Throat of Fire" in the local Quechua language, has been classified as active since 1999, and produced a strong eruption in 2008. It is one of Ecuador's eight active volcanoes.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
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