Mexico
Popocatépetl volcano continues to spit ash: flight operations disrupted
View of the Popocatepetl volcano on May 20, 2023. Photo
© Osvaldo Cantero/XinHua/dpa
Ash, steam, gas: Due to the increased activity of the Popocatépetl volcano, evacuation routes and the designation of emergency shelters are being checked in Mexico. Students have to stay at home.
The continuing ash fall from the Popocatépetl volcano has disrupted air traffic in central Mexico. The international airport in the city of Puebla will initially remain closed until Tuesday morning, the state operator ASA said yesterday afternoon (local time). The ash should be removed from the runways and the situation should then be reassessed. There were also numerous flight cancellations and delays at Mexico City Airport on Monday.
More than 7,000 soldiers were deployed in the vicinity of the volcano, which is around 85 kilometers south-east of Mexico City. Evacuation routes and emergency shelter designations were reviewed on Monday. Face-to-face classes were canceled in 40 cities and towns in the state of Puebla.
The volcano has been emitting ash, steam and gas for days. However, the experts assumed that the volcanic activity would be limited, as reported by the disaster prevention authority. The alert level remained at “yellow phase 3” on Monday, one step away from the red alert level.
The Popocatépetl is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. It lies on the border of the states of México, Puebla and Morelos and is more than 5400 meters high. There has been a twelve-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano for years. About 25 million people live within a radius of 100 kilometers.