An explosion registered this morning at the Popocatépetl volcano has surprised residents of the state of Puebla, as well as residents north and east of Mexico City, due to the ash fall recorded in the region. From Puebla, video and photo enthusiasts shared images of the volcano and its lava emissions on social networks and followed them for hours. The ashfall has forced the closure of Benito Juárez and Felipe Ángeles airports that serve the capital, located 72 kilometers from the volcano.
At 5:08 am, Mexico City’s most central airport, Benito Juárez, reported that it had decided to suspend all activities “due to the presence of volcanic ash.” After 7:00 a.m., the airfield extended the closure for another two hours. “AICM staff and airlines conduct runway and taxiway inspection and cleaning,” he said on his Twitter account. For its part, the Felipe Ángeles, located north of the capital and with less traffic than its brother, reported the closure just before 6:00 a.m. and did not provide any further information.
Don Goyo, as the volcano is popularly known in Mexico, has been very active over the last week. This morning, Puebla Government Minister Julio Huerta gave details of the latest explosion: “At 00:16 the volcano was emitting water vapour, gases and ash, releasing incandescent material. Communications are maintained with the city’s civil protection directorates to monitor the ash fall in the state. In Puebla, classes have been suspended in about twenty municipalities due to the activity of the volcano.
The continuous exhalations, tremors, and explosions have firmed the butt in Yellow Alert Phase 2, the fourth stage of the recording. During this phase, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (Cenapred) warns of possible releases of incandescent material and debris. This week, Cenapred also urged the population to refrain from climbing the volcanic crater because of the risk of explosion.
Subscribe here Subscribe to the EL PAÍS México newsletter and receive all the important information about current events in this country