An explosion registered this morning in the Popocatépetl volcano has surprised the neighbors of the State of Puebla and those of the north and east of Mexico City, by the ash rain registered in the area. From Puebla, video and photography enthusiasts have shared images of the volcano and its lava emissions on social networks, which they have followed for hours. The fall of ash has forced the closure of the Benito Juárez and Felipe Ángeles airports, which serve the capital, which is 72 kilometers from the volcano.
At 5:08 a.m., Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport, the most central, reported that it had decided to stop all activity, "due to the presence of volcanic ash." After 7.00, the aerodrome has extended the closure for two more hours. "AICM personnel and airlines are carrying out the review and cleaning of runways and taxiways," he explained on his Twitter account. For its part, the Felipe Angeles, located north of the capital, with less traffic than his brother, has reported the closure shortly before 6.00 and has not given more information.
In the last week, Don Goyo, as the volcano is popularly known in Mexico, has been very active. This morning the Secretary of Government of Puebla, Julio Huerta, has given details of the latest explosion: "At 00:16 hours, the volcano presented emission of water vapor, gases and ash, with the release of incandescent material. Communication is maintained with the municipal directorates of Civil Protection for monitoring ash fall in the State. " In Puebla, classes have been suspended in about twenty municipalities due to the activity of the volcano.
The continuous exhalations, tremors and explosions have secured Popo at the Yellow Phase 2 alert level, at the fourth level of the record. In this phase, the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) warns of possible launches of incandescent material and debris. This week, the Cenapred has also emphatically requested that the population not ascend to the crater of the volcano, because of the risk involved in the explosions.
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