The first evacuations of populations began on Monday in Colombia, around the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, which has been threatening to erupt for several days.
By order of the authorities, around 40 families, out of nearly 300 located in a risk area, began to be evacuated as a preventive measure from the municipality of Villamaria, near the volcano (center-west), national media reported.
The Colombian authorities issued an "orange" alert (before the "red" alert) and mentioned 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 tragedy of Armero, where some 25,000 people died in November 1985 in an avalanche of mud and ash caused by an eruption.
The ordeal of Omayra Sanchez, 13, who died in a waterhole after three days of agony in front of the cameras, had then upset the whole world.
The main risk for the populations remains precisely always an avalanche (or lahar), mixture of ashes, water and rocks, caused by the melting of the 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 "to calm" and "to be vigilant".
Nearly 57,000 people would be affected by an eruption, including 14,000 in urban areas, again 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 flows pyroclastics in the event of an eruption of the crater", estimated the Defender of the people (Ombudsman) in a press release.
"It is obvious that many of the earthquakes are relatively close to the crater, which encourages us to be very careful and to prepare for any eventuality", commented the head of Civil Protection (UNGRD), Luis Fernando Velasco, stressing that "there are areas near 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 Service, "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 coming out of the crater. Access to the Nevados National Park has also been prohibited.
The Nevado del Ruiz, which culminates at 5,321 meters above sea level, “has been in constant eruptive activity over the past ten years” with “minor events”, “mainly ash falls”, according to the Geological Service.
Located in the Central Cordillera and the Pacific Ring of Fire, Nevado del Ruiz is one of 25 active volcanoes in Colombia. It has been closely watched since the Armero disaster, the second deadliest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
04/04/2023 03:09:12 - Bogotá (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
