Mexico wakes up with an eye on the Popocatépetl volcano, where the volcanic traffic light increased its intensity to 'Yellow Phase 3', after its volcano activity increased significantly in the last three days and will cause closures of activities at airports, suspension of face-to-face classes and excessive ash fall throughout central Mexico.

In a press conference, Laura Velázquez, national coordinator of Civil Protection, announced that the coordination process began with the Government of the central Mexican state of Puebla to implement actions of prevention, mitigation and preparation of the measures framed in the so-called 'Plan Popocatépetl', by which measures will be taken for the educational and social issue.

When announcing a tour of the three levels of Government on Monday, May 22, he explained that the change from "Yellow Phase 2" to "Yellow Phase 3" is due to the fact that the activity of the volcano goes from intermediate to high, with growth and destruction of lava domes, persistence of fumaroles, gas and slight ash fall in nearby areas.

In this regard, he recommended that the Mexican authorities, through their Civil Protection directorates, communicate the situation to the general population, prepare personnel, evacuation teams and shelters.

As well as implementing specific measures for the most vulnerable people, implementing actions that mitigate the effects of ash fall and fragments, alert air navigation systems and limit access to the volcano over a greater extension.

The Popocatepetl volcano.Hilda RíosEFE

PUEBLA DAWNS WHITE ASH

The metropolitan area of the Mexican state of Puebla received volcanic ash rain since early Sunday morning, after the explosions of water, steam and ash that Popocatepetl had. This also caused the cancellation of outdoor events in several municipalities of the Mexican entity.

Vehicles, roofs of houses, as well as streets were filled with ash. The black color of the asphalt was lost, the drivers lost vision in their windshields. Business personnel had to sweep the entrances with large amounts of volcanic material that seemed to have no end.

The streets of the capital of Puebla and the municipalities of San Pedro Cholula and San Andrés Cholula, the most emblematic towns of the Mexican state, could be seen empty at times.

In a tour carried out by EFE it could be observed that the citizens who transited was because they went out to buy groceries, mainly.

They walked with masks and long-sleeved clothes, in some cases even with umbrellas to avoid filling their hair with ash.

Ana Laura López, an inhabitant of San Pedro Cholula, said that she is not afraid of the activity of the also called "Don Goyo", because it is a consequence of the mistreatment that humans have had with nature, so she said preventive measures have been taken such as sweeping her house daily and keeping calm mainly.

"It's normal and nature has to pick up the bill for everything we've polluted and I think it's part of the earth's natural cycle, not fear," he said.

Sherlyn Tepox, another resident of Puebla, said she is not afraid of the activity of the colossus, because she knows that its activity is constant because the volcano gradually removes everything it has inside and "it is as if it were being cleaned."

"It's as if I'm taking everything out little by little, I hope it doesn't explode, in fact it's just a little uncomfortable about the ash, because it slips when walking, enters the house, because it's not like dirt or mud that is removed quickly, that's why they say what to sweep it, "he said.

  • Mexico

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