The death toll from Guatemala's Fuego volcano eruption keeps rising, and now more hazards threaten grieving residents. At least 33 people were killed after the volcano erupted on Sunday, spewing a river of lava and plumes of smoke almost 6 miles into the air, said CONRED, the government agency for disaster reduction.

Another 15 people have been hospitalized, including 12 children – some of whom suffered severe burns, the health ministry said. Volcanic ash has already stretched across a 12-mile radius, and winds could carry the cloud even farther, officials said.

Survivor Consuelo Hernandez told the disaster agency some of her relatives were buried.

“Not everyone escaped, I think they were buried,” Hernandez said in a video released by CONRED. “We saw the lava was pouring through the corn fields, and we ran toward a hill,” she added.

Guatemala’s President Jimmy Morales has declared three days of national mourning. More than 3,100 people have been evacuated and 1.7 million people have been affected by the eruption, according to CONRED.

Satellite footage of Fuego showed the massive dark gray eruption was visible even from space. Authorities urged residents living near the volcano to evacuate immediately, and warned some in Chimaltenango, Sacatepequez and Escuintla states to watch out for volcanic rocks and ash. Residents were told to avoid roads close to the volcano and make sure water is not contaminated.

The eruption officially ended late on Sunday, said Guatemala’s National Institute of Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology. But it warned there could be new eruptions, and residents in the surrounding areas should be on alert for mudslides containing volcanic material.

Guatemala is situated on the so-called Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic activity. The 40,000-kilometre area stretches from the boundary of the Pacific Plate and the smaller plates such as the Philippine Sea plate to the Cocos and Nazca Plates that line the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

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