Mexico’s Popocatepetl Volcano Erupts, Spews Cloud of Ash Over Cuernavaca
A loud explosion from Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano Tuesday alarmed nearby communities and sent ash and lava into the air but didn’t prompt evacuations, emergency officials said.
The “moderate intensity” explosion occurred at noon, according to the National Center for the Prevention of Disasters, which monitors the 17,887-foot volcano 40 miles south of Mexico City.
Cloud cover prevented a view of the two-minute eruption, but the center said ash was thrown 1,640 feet in the air. The wind carried the ash to the west and sent it raining down on Cuernavaca, a colonial town south of the capital that is popular with tourists.
Ash also fell on the nearby towns of Yecapixtla, Yautepec and Jiutepec.
Officials did not order evacuations, but they said people should stay away from the zone around the crater.
Earlier, the disaster prevention center reported that monitors had recorded 120 small emissions of water vapor and gas during the previous 24 hours.
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