The first evacuations of populations began Monday, April 3 in Colombia, around the volcano Nevado del Ruiz which threatens for a few days to erupt.

On the orders of the authorities, about forty families, out of nearly 300 located in a risk area, began to be evacuated preventively from the municipality of Villamaria, near the volcano (center-west), reported the national media.

Colombian authorities have issued an "orange" alert (before the "red" alert) and reported a "probable eruption" to come. A rescue command and coordination center has been set up and President Gustavo Petro held a security council on Monday devoted to this possible eruption.

The Nevado del Ruiz is remembered in Colombia for the Armero tragedy, where some 25,000 people perished in November 1985 in an avalanche of mud and ash caused by an eruption. The ordeal of 13-year-old Omayra Sanchez, who died in a waterhole after three days agony in front of the cameras, shocked the world.

The main risk for the populations remains precisely always an avalanche (or lahar), a mixture of ash, water and rocks, caused by the melting of ice on the slopes of the volcano.

Seismic and volcanic activity has "significantly increased" since March 24, according to the authorities, who called on the populations of the departments of Tolima, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio and Cundinamarca "calm" and "vigilance". Nearly 57,000 people would be affected by an eruption, including 14,000 in urban areas, according to the authorities. Fourteen municipalities are particularly at risk.

"The decision to evacuate 40 families is correct, but there are many more families who live in the upper, middle and lower areas of the volcano, (...) and who are threatened by debris avalanches or pyroclastic flows in the event of an eruption of the crater," the Ombudsman said in a statement.

"It is obvious that many of the earthquakes are relatively close to the crater, which prompts us to be very careful and prepare for any eventuality," commented the head of Civil Protection (UNGRD), Luis Fernando Velasco, stressing that "there are areas close to the volcano without any means of communication" telephone or radio.

According to the governor of the department of Caldas, Luis Carlos Velásquez, 2,700 soldiers and police have already been mobilized, and 25 public hospitals, as well as 175 ambulances, put on alert.

According to the Geological Survey, "activity continues at the same levels as in recent days", with a "slight decrease in the number of daily earthquakes (nearly 5,000)", while ash emissions have been observed leaving the crater. Access to Nevados National Park has also been banned.

The Nevado del Ruiz, which rises to 5,321 meters above sea level, "has been in constant eruptive activity over the last ten years" with "minor events", "mainly ashfall", according to the Geological Service. Located on the Central Cordillera and the Pacific Ring of Fire, Nevado del Ruiz, is one of 25 active volcanoes in Colombia. It has been particularly closely watched since the Armero disaster, the second deadliest volcanic eruption of the twentieth century.

With AFP

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