Huge boulders spew from Ecuador volcano

Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano hurled huge lorry-sized pyroclastic boulders more than a mile in a powerful eruption on Friday that prompted at least 300 people to flee their homes, authorities said.

Schools were closed for a third straight day as ash showered down on a dozen towns in the sparsely populated area surrounding the 16,480-foot volcano.

Civil defence officials reported an intense shower of ash east of the volcano, including in Baños, a tourist destination three miles away that is popular for its hot springs. Residents of Baños were doing what little they could on Saturday to clean their town of a thick coating of ash. Loud explosions shook the ground and rattled windows near the volcano forcing residents to flee.