Colombia on alert for possible volcanic eruption

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - The Nevado del Ruiz volcano, located on the border of the departments of Tolima and Caldas in Colombia, is still under an orange alert due to its possible risk of eruption.

Since the morning hours on Tuesday, authorities have preventively evacuated people who are in high-risk areas.

The volcano caused the worst natural disaster in the country’s history in November 1985 when it erupted, triggering lahars or mudflows of volcanic debris that swept through the town of Armero, leaving more than 23,000 people dead.

The government raised the volcano's alert level last week following an increase in volcanic activity.

A possible eruption could affect some 57,000 families in 27 municipalities, according to authorities. Some 40 families who live on the volcano’s slopes have already been evacuated. Others have refused to leave their homes.

There are several remote areas where the lack of a television signal has prevented authorities from reaching the people at risk, so they have turned to the use of radios for communication purposes. Tourists traveling to the area have been denied access for security reasons.

President Gustavo Petro led several meetings Monday and Tuesday to assess the situation of the volcano and estimate the number of people who are being evacuated within 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) of the snow-capped peak volcano.

John Makario Londoño-Bonilla, director of geohazards at the Colombian Geological Service, said Tuesday that before March 24 there were 50 seismic activities per day at the volcano. Now there are more than 5,000 seismic events in a single day, said the Colombian Geological Service.

"That indicates a movement of magma that is trying to ascend toward the crater, and the other characteristic is the release of gas and ash in a more continuous manner in the last few days," he said.