Israel to give aid after Guatemala volcano erupts

Israel says it has delivered food, blankets and medicine to Guatemala after a volcano erupted there, killing at least 25 people.

Israel's Foreign Ministry says Monday it extended the assistance through its embassy in Guatemala and that a further assessment will be held with local authorities later.

Israel and Guatemala have grown increasingly close in recent years. Last month, Guatemala followed the U.S. by moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the second country to do so. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital. The Palestinians seek its eastern sector as capital of their hoped-for state.

The Volcan de Fuego, or "volcano of fire," exploded in a hail of ash and molten rock Sunday, blanketing nearby villages in heavy ash and sending lava flows down the mountain's flank.

Authorities in Guatemala say 18 more people have been confirmed killed by a volcanic eruption, raising the death toll to 25.

Disaster agency spokesman David de Leon said late Sunday the bodies were found in the community of San Miguel Los Lotes. Seven deaths were confirmed previously.

Rescuers have struggled to reach rural residents cut off by the eruption, which has also injured at least 20. Authorities have been unable to account for an undetermined number of people and say they fear the death toll could rise.

The Volcan de Fuego, or "volcano of fire," exploded in a hail of ash and molten rock shortly before noon Sunday, blanketing nearby villages in heavy ash. Then it began sending lava flows down the mountain's flank and across homes and roads around 4 pm.