Thousands of people were evacuated and airports were closed as Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano and the Pacaya volcano in Guatemala erupted late on Friday.

The eruptions choked major cities with ash and left two dead, officials said. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared a 15-day state of emergency around the Pacaya volcano, 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of the capital.

In Ecuador, the Tungurahua volcano, seen here, exploded into action Friday, forcing the evacuation of at least seven villages and closing down the airport and public schools in Guayaquil, the country’s largest and most populated city.

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