Peru declared a 60-day state of emergency in the Ubinas volcano area on Wednesday.
According to the Geophysical Institute of Peru, the volcano has been spewing ash and gas since earlier this week, which has risen up to about 5,500 meters (1,800 feet) into the atmosphere.
According to the institute, the plume of smoke has drifted over towns ten kilometers (more than 6 miles) from the volcano.
Located in Moquegua, a region 1,200 kilometers southeast of the capital Lima, Ubinas is the country’s most active volcano.
State of emergency to counteract the risks of a volcanic eruption
A state of emergency has been declared for the area around the volcano. It allows the government to take “extraordinary measures and measures” to address the risks from activities at the volcano.
The Peruvian Council of Ministers wrote on Twitter that the declaration was approved in a cabinet meeting with President Dina Boluarte.
A deadly earthquake rocks Ecuador and Peru
To view this video, please enable JavaScript and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videos
About 2,000 people live in the affected areas. The zone is part of the “Ring of Fire” at the edges of the Pacific Ocean, known for volcanic activity and earthquakes.
Local authorities have not ordered residents to be evacuated, but federal authorities are preparing shelters.
Hundreds of people were evacuated when the volcano erupted in 2019. About 25 eruptions have been recorded in Ubinas since 1550. There are about 40 volcanoes in Moquegua and the adjacent regions of Arequipa and Tacna, most of which are dormant.
rm/rc (Portal, AFP)
Peru declares a state of emergency over unrest
To view this video, please enable JavaScript and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videos