An increase in ash emissions from Colombia’s volatile Nevado del Ruiz volcano was reported by the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Manizales Monday.
The increase in ash was caused by tremors within the volcano, located on the border of the central departments of Caldas and Tolima. Ash continued to fall on the nearby cities of Manizales, Chinchina and Villamaria, according to residents’ reports.
The observatory’s director, Alvaro Pablo Acevedo, released a handbook for residents on how to deal with ongoing ash emissions. The document, which was compiled by experts at England’s University of Cambridge and the U.S. Geological Survey, provides recommendations on the management of ash, which include wearing protective masks and avoiding the use of water to remove the volcanic material.
A May 29 earthquake sent plumes of ash 4,000 feet above the volcano’s crater, forcing nearby La Nubio airport in Manizales to shut down. The alert level remains at orange, meaning an eruption is likely but not imminent.
An estimated 25,000 people were killed when the volcano erupted in 1985.
