Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated on Monday from areas around Guatemala's Fuego volcano, which began violently erupting overnight, the country's disaster agency Conred said.

The volcano spewed out dangerous flows of fast-moving clouds of hot ash, lava and gas early Monday and more than 2,000 people had taken refuge in shelters so far, said officials from the agency.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Volcanologists say lava is rising 500 meters above the volcano's crater.

Residents of several communities near the erupting Fuego volcano arrive at a temporary shelter in Escuintla department, 35 kilometers south of Guatemala City, November 19, 2018. /VCG Photo

More dangerous flows of hot ash and lava could be expelled, said Juan Pablo Oliva, the head of the country's seismological, volcanic and meteorological institute Insivumeh.

In June, explosive flows from Fuego killed more than 190 people.

This is the fifth eruption so far this year of the 3,763-meter-(12,346-feet) high volcano, one of the most active in Central America, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) south of Guatemala City.

(REUTERS)