HAVANA, Cuba, May 29 (acn) Cuban health professionals currently working in Guatemala said they are ready to provide whatever health services are necessary after the emergency situation created in this country with the eruption of the Pacaya volcano.

The national coordinator of the Cuban medical brigade in Guatemala, Henry Carreño, told Prensa Latina news agency that they already expressed this willingness to the Guatemalan Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare.

“We are waiting for their response,” Carreño said and added that the 26 members of the Cuban medical brigade in the department of Escuintla —where the volcano is located— are safe and in good health conditions as they live and work far away from the area affected by the eruption.

“We only had to evacuate one member of the brigade from the department of Amatilan because that area is close to the volcano,” he pointed out.

Prensa Latina reported that the Pacaya volcano began a new eruption phase on Friday after an emergency situation was created on Thursday with its first eruption.

At least 1,700 people fled to escape lava, rocks and debris after the Pacaya volcano erupted Thursday about 19 miles south of the capital, Guatemala City. A man was killed when he fell from a building while sweeping volcanic ash and a TV reporter died while covering the eruption.

President Alvaro Colom declared a state of emergency in the Escuintla region, Guatemala City and areas around the capital, and the country’s main airport was closed because of heavy volcanic ash.

Seismologists warned of more possible eruptions of the Pacaya volcano in the coming days.