Colombia's Nevado del Ruiz Volcano Raises Alarm with Increased Seismic Activity
(MENAFN) The Nevado del Ruiz volcano, located on the border of the departments of Tolima and Caldas in Colombia, has raised the alarm with increased seismic activity. This has led authorities to issue an orange alert and start evacuating people from high-risk areas as a preventive measure. The situation has sparked memories of the volcano's catastrophic eruption in November 1985, which claimed over 23,000 lives and caused widespread devastation in the region.
According to John Makario Londoño-Bonilla, director of geohazards at the Colombian Geological Service, the volcano has been showing signs of increased activity since March 24. Before that, there were around 50 seismic events per day at the volcano, but now there are more than 5,000 in a single day1. This indicates that magma is trying to ascend toward the crater, and there has been a more continuous release of gas and ash in recent days1.
The Colombian government has responded to the situation by raising the volcano's alert level and evacuating people from high-risk areas. As of now, some 40 families who live on the volcano's slopes have been evacuated, while others have refused to leave their homes1. However, there are still several remote areas where authorities have been unable to reach people at risk due to the lack of a television signal, and they have had to resort to using radios for communication purposes1.
The possible eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano could affect some 57,000 families in 27 municipalities, and authorities are urging people to take the situation seriously and follow the evacuation orders1. Tourists traveling to the area have also been denied access for security reasons.
President Gustavo Petro has been leading meetings to assess the situation and estimate the number of people being evacuated within a 15-kilometer radius of the snow-capped peak volcano1. The government has been criticized in the past for its handling of natural disasters, and the situation with the Nevado del Ruiz volcano has raised concerns about its preparedness to deal with such events.
In conclusion, the increased seismic activity at the Nevado del Ruiz volcano has raised alarm in Colombia, leading to an orange alert and the evacuation of people from high-risk areas. The situation has sparked memories of the volcano's catastrophic eruption in 1985, and authorities are urging people to take the situation seriously and follow evacuation orders. The government's response to this situation will be closely scrutinized, and it highlights the need for continued efforts to improve disaster preparedness and response in Colombia.
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