New evacuations have been ordered in Guatemala after searing hot ash and mud began flowing down the Volcano of Fire.

Rescuers and police have been pulled back from towns destroyed during the eruption on Sunday that killed at least 70 people.

Witnesses reported seeing a new column of smoke rising into the sky as a siren wailed and loudspeakers blared: "Evacuate."

Guatemala's seismology institute said the new flow of volcanic material down the southeastern slopes is expected to produce a "curtain" of ash.

The ash could reach heights of about 20,000ft above sea level and is expected to be carried by the wind to the west and north-west.

Civil aviation authorities are being ordered to take precautions with air traffic.

At 1pm local time the disaster agency, known as Conred, confirmed the death toll stood at 70 - but this figure is expected to rise as rescue work continues.

It said a total of 1.7 million people have been affected by the eruption, with 3,271 evacuated, and 2,625 being housed in shelters.

Conred spokesman Juan Sanchez said that there was little chance of finding anyone alive 72 hours after the eruption.

"The condition in which the homes are makes that possibility pretty unlikely," he said.

Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Show all 16 1 /16 Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Guatemalan police evacuate people in the village of El Porvenir following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego EPA Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption A rescue worker helps a woman covered with ash Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Volcano Fuego during an eruptive pulse AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Emergency personnel rescuing a person EPA/Ministry of Defense Guatemala Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Residents take refuge in a shelter south of Guatemala City following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption The eruption of Volcan de Fuego is captured from Alotenango, southwest of Guatemala City AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption TOPSHOT - A police officer carries a baby after the eruption of the Fuego Volcano, in El Rodeo village, Escuintla department, 35 km south of Guatemala City on June 3, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / NOE PEREZNOE PEREZ/AFP/Getty Images NOE PEREZ AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Residents stand behind a safety cordon following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Relatives react as volunteers carry a coffin with the body of Sergio Vasquez who died following the eruption AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption People flee the ash covered village of El Rodeo, south of Guatemala City AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Police officers in protective masks guard the area around the village of El Rodeo following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption An ash covered child is rescued in the village of El Rodeo following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Soldiers sweep up ash at La Aurora International Airport Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption A young girl is carried by a rescue worker in the village of El Rodeo following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego EPA Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUALS COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH ??The ash covered limbs of victims of Fuego volcano's eruption are seen inside the morgue in San Juan Alotenango, Guatemala June 3, 2018. REUTERS/Luis Echeverria Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Fuego volcano after it erupted violently Reuters

In the devastated town of El Rodeo, rescuers wearing hard hats, masks and goggles had been using shovels to dig through homes.

Only 17 of the bodies recovered so far have been identified due to the extreme heat that burned them beyond recognition.

Many dogs and cats were rescued with burns on their paws from the mud and ash and some were blinded from the volcanic gases.