Dangerous volcano threatens to spread ash over Mexico City
Experts report the volcano has been extremely active since 1994. The Popocatépetl volcano is located about 45 miles southeast of Mexico City, and it’s estimated roughly 25 million people live within a 60-mile radius of the volcano.
Volcano spews ash and gasses into sky near Puebla, Mexico
Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Center has issued a yellow alert and warned residents not to approach the Volcano's crater.
MEXICO CITY – Video taken of Mexico’s most active volcano shows an increase of ash and gasses spewing into the air, which authorities warned had the potential to impact parts of the country’s largest city.
The Popocatépetl volcano is located about 45 miles southeast of Mexico City, and it’s estimated roughly 25 million people live within a 60-mile radius of the composite volcano.
In response to the most recent activity, Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Center issued a yellow alert and warned residents not to approach the crater.
The center said there is an increased risk of falling rocks, and an uptick in earthquakes has been reported around the mountain.
"Do not try to climb the volcano, as explosions occur that throw incandescent fragments, as has been seen recently. Respect the exclusion radius of 12 kilometers from the crater, being within this area is not safe. In case of heavy rain, stay away from the bottom of ravines, due to the danger of mud and debris flows," the Mexican government stated.
Volcano threatens to spread ash over Mexico City
Authorities have issued a yellow alert after a significant release of ash and gas on Tuesday from Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano.
DRONE VIDEO SHOWS MEXICO’S POPOCATEPETL VOLCANO SPEWING ASH, GASSES
Popocatépetl has been active since 1994 and has gone through episodes of increased activity, including forcing 40,000 residents from their homes in December 2000.
In May 2023, emissions of ash forced authorities to open evacuation shelters, close nearby schools, and temporally shut down airfields, including Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport.
The U.S. Geological Survey says planes are highly susceptible to volcanic material, and ash particles can damage the fuselage blades and greatly hinder the performance of engines.
Despite occasional upticks in activity, the USGS said Popocatépetl has the potential to do much worse.
The last reported major eruption occurred in 800 A.D., and if a similar magnitude event were to happen today, the USGS estimated hundreds of thousands of lives would be in immediate danger.
Due to Mexico’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the country is home to dozens of volcanoes, with several that have been active since 1950.
El Chichón is another volcano that is continuously monitored in the country’s south, not far from the Mexico-Guatemala border.
An eruption in 1982 is considered to be one of the country’s worst disasters in modern history and led to the deaths of nearly 2,000 people and another 20,000 were left homeless.
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