“El popo” has woken up – spitting out smoke, gas and ash

“El popo” has woken up.
In recent days, the Mexican volcano has been spewing gas, smoke and ash.
Now the authorities are increasing preparedness and preparing the inhabitants for a possible outbreak.

The volcano Popocatépetl, or “El popo” as it is popularly called, is Mexico’s second highest at 5,426 meters. It is located 7 miles from the capital Mexico City and has now been active for several days.

So active that the government is now calling on millions of people to prepare for a possible evacuation, states CNN.

Over 7,000 soldiers have been put on standby and shelters have opened.

“The ashes are like glass”

Communities and agriculture east of the volcano have been covered in a fine layer of ash. The population has been asked to wear a mask and to cover their eyes.

– The problem with the ash is that it is almost like glass with small, sharp particles that are not at all good to breathe in, seismologist Björn Lund at Uppsala University explains to TT.

Air traffic has also suffered delays and the authorities have closed dozens of schools.

Could be like Pompeii

Now the concern is growing that the winds will turn and affect the west as well. But the fear of an explosive eruption is also present among the population.

– When it does happen, it happens quickly. There will be a substantial ash cloud that will rain down and there will be hot flows of gas and rock flowing down the mountainside at high speed, says Björn Lund to TT.

– Then it can be the case that areas around the volcano are covered by decimetre-thick layers of ash, which means that nearby villages can be buried, as happened in Pompeii.

“El popo” has not had a major eruption for over a thousand years, but since 1994 it has had several periods of increased activity.