Article updated: 9/13/2012 3:42 PM

33,000 flee Guatemala volcano eruption

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In this image from a cell phone, plumes of smoke rise from the Volcan de Fuego or Volcano of Fire as seen Thursday from Palin, south of Guatemala City.

Associated Press

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A long-simmering volcano outside one of the Guatemala's most famous tourist attractions exploded into a series of powerful eruptions Thursday, hurling thick clouds of ash nearly two miles high, spewing rivers of lava down its flanks and forcing the evacuation of more than 33,000 people from surrounding communities.