QUITO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Ecuador's "Throat of Fire" volcano spewed clouds of ash on Thursday, forcing more than 700 villagers to leave their homes.

Tungurahua, which means "throat of fire" in native Quichua language, is a volcano located 80 miles (130 km) south of the capital Quito. It last erupted in August 2006 and has been rumbling and belching up smoke and ash this week.

"Around 700 people are being asked to leave," said Marcelo Villagomez, the head of emergency services in the province of Chimborazo, who traveled around the base of the volcano encouraging villagers to evacuate.

"It's a voluntary evacuation and many refuse to go and that has kept us worried. ... I'm telling them about the value of life," Villagomez said in a phone interview. "You can feel the ground shake out here."

In 2006, the volcano spewed ash and molten rock that buried hamlets located near the crater, killing four people and forcing thousands to leave their homes.

Local volcanologists expect more activity from Tungurahua because it is in the middle of an eruption cycle that began in 1999 after decades of inactivity.

The volcano's crater is about a mile (1.6 km) south of the tourist resort town of Banos, where 17,000 residents were forced to evacuate in 1999 after loud explosions and plumes of ash billowed out of its crater. (Reporting by Alonso Soto)

AlertNet news is provided by