A column of thick ash that erupted yesterday from the Popocatepetl volcano reaching a height of 2,000 meters caused the cancellation of more than twenty flights at the airport of the capital of Mexico, some 72 kilometers from its crater, according to the authorities.
“Twenty-two flights of various national and international airlines were canceled due to security checks on aircraft that encountered ash in flight,” Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport (AICM) explained via X (formerly Twitter).
The airport operator assured that it has not been deemed necessary to suspend its operation so far, however, it continues to closely monitor the direction of the ash, which is currently moving towards the Gulf of Mexico (east).
Federal authorities on Tuesday maintained the alert level at “yellow”, two notches below the maximum risk, but warned against falling ash in the three states in the central part of the country that surround the crater: Morelos, Puebla and the state of Mexico. Some areas of the capital may also be affected.
The most recent explosive volcanic activity at Popocatepetl was recorded in May 2023.
The Mexican capital is surrounded by a mountain range, which reduces the possibilities in terms of air routes. However, the flights generally offer passengers a view of Popocatepetl (5,452 m altitude) and the neighboring Istaxihuatl (5,230 m).
In the previous 24 hours, the volcano recorded 77 eruptions, tremors of a total duration of 952 minutes and an earthquake, a civil protection report said yesterday afternoon.
These numbers are not far from the daily volcanic activity at this giant, based on records. Popocatepetl volcano (“smoking mountain,” in the Nahuatl language) erupted in 1994 after nearly 70 years, and several eruptions have been recorded. bursts of activity in it. In 1997, volcanic ash covered the capital and its surroundings.
During periods of peak activity, the authorities hastily evacuate residents of nearby rural areas. In a radius of 100 kilometers around the crater of the volcano live a total of around 25 million people.
SOURCE: APE-ME
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