August 24, 2012 – Mount Tungurahua Erupts: Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano spews large clouds of gas and ash near Banos, about 178 kilometers (110 miles) south of Quito August 23, 2012. The authorities are encouraging residents living near the volcano to evacuate due to increased activity, according to local media. The Tungurahua volcano has been in an active state since October 1999. Pictured above, Mount Tungurahua bellows smoke, in preparation for another eruption. Pictured above, ash and steam billow from the Tungurahua volcano, seen from Huambalo, Ecuador, as the sun rises early Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. Pictured above, Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano spews a large cloud of ash to the nearby town of Bilbao, August 21, 2012. Areas in Ecuador’s Quito region (see map) have been evacuated as the Tungurahua volcano continues to erupt. Authorities have been forced into making plans to evacuate residents of Ecuador’s Banos region as the Tungurahua volcano continues to vent. Local cities and farms have been covered in volcanic ash as the massive eruptions show no signs of abating. Pictured above, Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano spews large clouds of gas and ash near Banos. The Master of Disaster