According to Peru's National Emergency Operations Center (COEN), ash from the Ubinas volcano has covered 617 schools and 20 health centers in the southern region of the Andean nation.

The volcano set off a series of explosions last Thursday and emitted a column of ash about 5 kilometers (3 miles) high, which has since drifted with the wind, taking with it toxic gases.

The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) issued an ongoing "orange warning" on Sunday, indicating further moderate explosions and ash emissions were possible.

The majority of those affected by the eruption — 19,000 of the 29,700 — live in the area bordering Bolivia to the east. About 9,000 people to the south, around the town of Moquegua, have also been affected since the volcano erupted last week.

Fire and ashes: Most troublesome volcanos of our time Remember Eyjafjallajökull? The Icelandic volcano with a famously unpronounceable name erupted in 2010, throwing up a massive cloud of ash into the air and disrupting air traffic all across Europe and North Atlantic. A total of 100,000 flights were canceled within one week.

Fire and ashes: Most troublesome volcanos of our time Mount Etna: Europe's biggest volcano The snow-covered volcano in Sicily, Mount Etna, is both Europe's largest and its most active volcano. It has been continuously erupting for centuries with more or less intensity. At least 10 people were injured when Etna suddenly launched volcanic rocks and steam in 2017.

Fire and ashes: Most troublesome volcanos of our time Trouble in Bali paradise Indonesia's Mount Agung erupted in November 2017 and again in June 2018. Both eruptions prompted authorities to close down the airport in the tourist resort, effectively stranding thousands of visitors.

Fire and ashes: Most troublesome volcanos of our time Panic and death in Guatemala The sudden eruption of Guatemala's Volcan de Fuego in June 2018 left hundreds dead or missing. The volcano also launched ash nearly six kilometers (four miles) into the sky, blanketing nearby villages.

Fire and ashes: Most troublesome volcanos of our time Kilauea - the rage of Pele Hawaii's ancient religion names the goddess Pele as the ruler of volcanoes and fire. One of the volcanoes under her command is Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island, which has been erupting since 1983. The eruptions escalated in 2018, with walls of moving lava swallowing streets and destroying hundreds of homes. Author: Darko Janjevic



State of emergency

A state of emergency was declared by President Martin Vizcarra after he visited the area. The aim is to accelerate distribution of aid, and speed up evacuations of communities.

Speaking on TVPeru, Jersy Marino of the Mining and Metallurgical Geological Institute (INGEMMET) said there are eight volcanoes in the south of Peru and that Ubinas is "very active," with "eruptions every five or six years."

Peru is located within the 40,000-kilometer, horseshoe-shaped Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean, which has 452 volcanoes and a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches.

Ubinas is the latest in a series of volcanic eruptions which have included Mount Etna on the east coast of Sicily, Popocatepetl in central Mexico and Stromboli, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily.

About 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, according to the US scientific agency, the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Read more: Tourist killed in volcanic blast on Italian island of Stromboli

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