Young men in El Salvador have been celebrating a religious festival by throwing fireballs at each other in the streets.

The town of Nejapa hosts the annual event, which sees participants on opposing teams hurl flaming fuel-soaked rags at each other in the name of a Christian saint.

The festival marks a huge volcanic eruption in 1922 that forced all of the residents to evacuate the town.

Locals say the hot lava that flowed from the volcano was actually the local Saint Jeronimo fighting the devil with balls of fire.

Hugo Flores, a festival participant said: "When the volcano erupted, all the lava and fire was symbolised by the fireballs, all that fell on the indigenous people and they moved to our town."

Despite the dangerous nature of the event, few serious injuries have been reported.

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