KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The death toll rose to 62 and was expected to go higher Monday afternoon following Sunday's volcano eruption in Guatemala.

The volcano located just west of Guatemala City exploded Sunday, sending towering clouds of ash miles into the air and burying many communities in molten rock.

During the blast, a group from First Baptist Lenoir City had been working with Mike Parker of Clubhouse Ministries near Guatemala City. Parker said the mission house was covered with ash.

"We thought it was storming outside, we thought we heard thunder, but that was actually the volcano going off and when we went outside it was raining sand, and basically mud and dirt mixed in, it almost looked like a solar eclipse that happened, everything went dark," said Parker.

Amy Fellhoelter said her daughter was near the capitol city with a mission group from Two Rivers Church.

"My husband text me last night and said have you heard the news of the volcano where is Hailey have you heard from her," said Fellhoelter. She explained other parents made contact with the group and learned the students left the city before the blast and were safe nearly 200 miles away.

The airports closed Sunday and parts of Monday. It was unclear how many flights were affected. The high school group was scheduled to leave Friday, but that timetable was subject to change.

"It does put me on edge, but I know God is in control," said Fellhoelter.

At least 62 people were confirmed dead, according to Fanuel Garcia, director of the National Institute of Forensic Science. All came from the hamlets of Los Lotes and El Rodeo, but only 13 had been identified because the flows that reached temperatures as high as 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit had disfigured the bodies.

"We're having a lot of trouble identifying them because some of the dead lost their features or their fingerprints. We're going to have to use other anthropological methods and if possible take DNA samples to identify them."

Some locals said they never learned of the danger until it was too late.