The level of activity of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia rose on Friday, so state monitoring agencies asked the population to prepare for an eventual evacuation because there is a possibility that in days or weeks it will erupt more than of the last decade, time in which it has been in the eruptive process.
The volcano is located at 5,321 meters above sea level on the axis of the country’s central mountain range and on the border between the departments of Tolima and Caldas. It has a glacial mass, so its activity can generate sudden thaws.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) asked the local authorities that are within the area of influence of the volcano to prepare for an eventual emergency by adapting marked evacuation routes and meeting points for the population.
In recent days the level of activity of the volcano was yellow, a category that contemplates changes in its behavior with ash emissions, earthquakes, noise and odors from volcanic gases, but in the last hours it rose to orange level, which indicates that an eruption is likely in terms of days or weeks. The next and last level is red, when the eruption is imminent or in progress.
The UNGRD and the Colombian Geological Service indicated in a statement that the eruptive events of the volcano in the last decade have been minor and in most cases have been limited to the surrounding areas.
The activity of the volcano has been monitored permanently and with priority since 1985, the year in which an eruption caused the death of about 25,000 people in Armero, in the department of Tolima.
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