Centenary of last great eruption of El Boquerón

San Salvador volcano -- El Boquerón

June 7 was the 100 year anniversary of the last great eruption of the San Salvador volcano, also known as "El Boquerón."  The eruption occurred on June 7, 1917 at 8:11 p.m.    It was preceded by two killer earthquakes at 6:55 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. which killed approximately 1050 people and left only 200 of the 9000 houses in the city intact.

The 1917 eruption was a flank eruption of the volcano along one fissure. During this eruption, the crater lake inside the Boqueron evaporated and a cinder cone appeared within the crater, christened 'Boqueroncito'.   Lava would continue to flow for five months after the initial eruption.

El Diario de Hoy has a collection of historic images of the 1917 eruption at this link.   There is a special exhibition regarding the eruption going on now at the Guzman national anthropology museum (MUNA).

Boqueroncito