Cumbre is on the unpopulated island of Fernandina, one of the Galapagos Islands, 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, which are a major tourist attraction. The volcano is 1,483 meters (4,865 feet) high.

Lava rushing into the sea generated plumes of steam, according to Hugo Yepes, director of the Ecuador Geophysical Institute.

"We are watching the direction of the lava flow to determine if there is any threat to tourist areas," Yepes told Radio Quito.

"A visible column of steam, ash and gasses is rising about seven kilometers high and two km wide and because of the northerly winds is being pushed toward the volcanoes of Isabel Island," he added.

He said the most recent eruption in the Galapagos was in 1998.

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