Authorities in central Colombia on Sunday lowered the alert level to orange after a calming down of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano that erupted Saturday.
“Over the past hours … the emission of gases and ashes continued but has showed a decrease,” the Manizales observatory of Colombia’s geology authority Ingeominas said in a press release some 16 hours after an eruption of lava, gases and ashes forced the authority to raise the alert level to red.
Despite having lowered the alert level, national authorities called for caution as more eruptions are probable.
President Juan Manuel Santos announced on his Twitter that he was on his way to the area affected by the volcano “to revise how the disaster prevention protocols are working.”
Following Saturday’s eruption, 365 families were evacuated from the vicinity of the volcano. These people are allowed to return to their homes.
The airports of the cities of Manizales and Pereira remained closed Sunday morning.
The 17,457 foot Nevado del Ruiz volcano is one of the deadliest volcanoes in Colombia. An avalanche following an eruption in 1985 wiped away the town of Armero, killing 25,000.
