The Santa Ana volcano, El Salvador's largest, erupted on Saturday after being dormant for more than a century, leaving at least two dead people and forcing more than 2,000 others to flee home.

The volcano, also known as the Ilamatepec volcano, located 66 kilometers west of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, started on Saturday morning to belch out thick plumes of ashes, which reached more than 15 kilometers into the sky.

Soon after the volcano began casting hot rocks and ash from itscrater,military emergency sirens blasted to signal an immediate area evacuation of the hamlets in the coffee growing area, where some 20,000 people live.

Salvador's Interior Minister Rene Figueroa said that two peoplewere killed as 200 residents fled the hamlet of Palo Campana, which lies just two kilometers from the crater.

The police said that at least seven people were injured by red hot rocks hurled into the air by the eruption.

Officials with the National Emergency Committee said 2,250 people had been evacuated from the danger zone by 1 p.m. local time (1900 GMT).

A red alert had been declared in a four kilometer (2.5 mile) radius around the volcano while a lesser "yellow alert" was issuedfor nearby areas.

The volcano, which is 2,381 meters above sea level, last eruptedin 1904.

Source: Xinhua