The Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Peru (PCM) approved the state of emergency in the southern region of Moquegua due to the activity of the Ubinas volcano. The decision was made this Wednesday, July 5, due to “imminent danger due to the eruptive process of the volcano.” The duration of the measure will be 60 days and it is expected that this action will reduce the danger for the population surrounding the volcano.
First modification:
The top leader of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Peru (PCM), Alberto Otálora, announced on the morning of this Wednesday, July 5, the approval of the extraordinary measure, which implies the emergency decree in the southern region of Moquegua for the next 60 days. According to the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP), on Tuesday, July 4, the volcano it registered two explosions and the expulsion of ash, actions that made the authorities pay attention to the area and take urgent measures.
This action proposes taking preventive measures in the districts most at risk of being affected by the activity of the massif, such as Ubinas, Yunga, Lloque, Chojata, Matalaque and San Juan de Tarucani. According to the PCM, the volcanic activity has already begun to be noticeable in nearby towns, such as Ubinas, the capital of the district that receives the same name, where the ash already covers the roofs of houses and can be seen in the streets and the Plaza Mayor. .
The status alert in the area changed from “yellow” to “orange”, according to the National Civil Defense Institute (INDECI), according to national measurement standards and after the ash spill from the volcano with a height of 1,700 meters. The agency also advised the region’s population, approximately 2,000 people, to stay away from the volcano and to keep their doors and windows closed.
After the session of the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Alberto Otárola reports the approval of the declaration of a State of Emergency in some districts of Moquegua due to the imminent danger of the eruptive process of the Ubinas volcano. pic.twitter.com/bv6WKXEVoe
– Council of Ministers (@pcmperu) July 5, 2023
Ubinas, one of the most active volcanoes in Peru
At 1,400 meters high, the Ubinas volcano is located in the Moquegua region, specifically in the General Sánchez Cerro province.
Considered one of the most active volcanoes in Peru, Ubinas is 70 km northeast of the city of Arequipa, the largest city closest to the volcano, 472 km from Cusco and 523 km from La Paz, Bolivia.
It has an area of 52 square kilometers and it is not the first time that it has put the authorities and the population on alert.
On July 19, 2019, the volcano had an eruption that reached 6,500 meters above the crater, dispersing ash in the towns of Moquegua, Puno and Tacna, exceeding 250 km in distance and reaching the Bolivian city of La Peace.
Peru and volcanic activity, regular companions
Southern Peru is an area with significant activities in the mining sector and is also home to a dozen active volcanoes.
In addition to this, the Andean country is part of the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a region of 40,000 kilometers in extension and that hosts about 90% of the seismic activity of the planet. It covers various latitudes in America and Asia, such as the Andes, the United States, Japan and the west coast of Mexico.
That is why in Peru it is constant to show seismic and volcanic activity constantly; something that has accompanied Peruvians in their daily lives for years.
with Reuters
