A dangerous volcano that 38 years ago killed 25,000 people, is active once again. Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz volcano, which is situated on the notoriously dangerous Pacific Ring of fire, is experiencing seismic activity and authorities on Friday warned of a “probable” new eruption with weeks or even days.
Colombia’s ministry of mines in a statement said that there has recently been a “significant increase in seismic activity,” for the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.
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AFP reports that Colombia’s SGC geological service has warned of a “probable eruption within days or weeks.”
The agency said that another eruption was “a probability for which authorities must be prepared,” and urged the population to remain calm and to follow warnings and updates.
Meanwhile, Columbian President Gustavo Petro on Twitter wrote: “We have an orange alert due to the change in seismology at the Ruiz volcano. Mayors must prepare the protocols for this state of alert.”
This orange alert, as per the nation’s UNGRD disaster risk management unit, signals towards the likelihood of an eruption “bigger than any in the last decade.”
Nevado del Ruiz volcano is a 17,400-foot (5,300-meter) colossus volcano in Western Columbia. Its last eruption on November 13, 1985, is considered one of the worst natural disasters in Colombian history and also one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century. The heat from the 1985 eruption melted the snow that caps mountains in surrounding areas; triggering a mudslide which as per AFP “swallowed” the town of Armero and killed around half of its population of 50,000.
(With inputs from agencies)
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