Volcano in Mexico continues to spew ash

Continued ashfall from the Popocatepetl 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-owned operator ASA announced on Monday afternoon (local time). Ashes must be removed from the tracks and the situation must then be reassessed. There were also several flight cancellations and delays at Mexico City Airport on Monday.

More than 7,000 troops have been deployed in the vicinity of the volcano, which is about 85 kilometers southeast of Mexico City. Evacuation routes and emergency shelter designations were revised on Monday. In-person 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, experts assumed that 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.

Popocatepetl is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. It is on the border of the states of Mexico, Puebla and Morelos and is over 5,400 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.