MANAGUA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Volcano Telica erupted on Thursday, sending fumes and ash up into the sky as well as rocks falling all around it, according to Nicaragua's Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter).

The column of smoke rose 500 meters above the edge of the crate, with part of it moving eastward and another part going south-southwest, it said.

Ineter said after the eruption, the volcano continued to release fumes but that this posed no danger to the local population.

The Telica volcano, 1,061 meters high, is located in the western province of Leon. Its last violent eruption occurred in 1948.

In a statement, Ineter said the eruption happened at 7:08 a.m. on Thursday. Rocks were expelled and landed near the crater although ash and sand landed up to 1 km away.

"After this explosion, the colossus continued to emit gases, but they do not represent great danger for the population. It is likely new explosions will happen during the day, but this is part of the normal activity of an active volcano like Telica," it said.

There has been no significant damages reported so far according to local authorities.

Earlier this month, a highly active volcano named Fuego near Guatemala's capital exploded, with lava flowing down, leaving over 100 people killed and nearly 200 missing.