Ecuadorian President Alfredo Palacio says the government has declared a state of emergency in three provinces while rescuers are searching for 30 people missing a day after a devastating volcano eruption.
 "We have declared a state of emergency for the three provinces. What we need to do now is to evaluate the situation."
The president said that the government had allocated 2 million US dollars to help people displaced by the eruption, which forced tens of thousands of people to flee falling ash.
Authorities had ordered the evacuation of a dozen villages on the volcano's slopes.
Experts warned that the volcano could be poised for a new explosion, and urged everyone to stay away from the 5,000-meter-high volcano in the nation's central Andes region - including any tourists tempted to witness the spectacle.
It was the 14th time Tungurahua, which means "throat of fire" in the local Quechua language, has launched hot lava and ash onto villages on its flanks since its first recorded eruption, in 1534, during the Spanish colonial era.
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Director: Liu Chi