Authorities in El Salvador have warned residents near the Chaparrastique volcano in the east of the country to be alert after it began to erupt.

The Environmental Ministry’s observatory reported explosions in the central crater of the volcano, which is located about 83 miles (135km) east of the capital, San Salvador.

It said the eruption’s intensity was 1 on a scale from 0 to 8.

The eruption began on Sunday when the volcano launched rock and ash to areas surrounding the crater. There were no reported injuries.

Civil Defence Director Luis Alonso Amaya said three municipalities are on alert.

Authorities are preparing 26 shelters that can accommodate more than 10,000 people and installing a command post to provide the most current information on the volcano’s activity.

The safety zone has been extended to a radius of 3.7 miles (6km) from the crater.