( CNN ) -- A volcano near southwest Colombia 's border with Ecuador erupted on Saturday , leading the government to issue a `` red alert '' for the region . The Galeras volcano is shown on January 17 , 2008 , from Pasto , Colombia . There were not believed to be any fatalities or injuries in the blast , which happened at about 7:10 p.m . ET ( 12:10 a.m. Sunday GMT ) , said Carlos Lineras of the Colombia Institute for Geology and Mines . The institute issued an evacuation order for about 7,000 people living near the Galeras volcano . The volcano is not in a heavily populated region . Galeras has erupted several times since it became active again in 1989 . The only fatalities were in 1993 , when nine people -- all scientists or tourists in or near the volcano 's crater -- were killed .
No deaths , injuries feared from eruption , authority says . 7,000 people ordered to evacuate from nearby Galeras volcano . Volcano is in southwest Colombia , near border with Ecuador .