MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s restless Popocatepetl Volcano spat ash, rocks and steam 3,000 feet into the air Tuesday and experts predicted further small eruptions.
The 18,000-foot volcano towers over Mexico City, 45 miles to the northwest. Roberto Melli, director of the National Center for the Prevention of Disasters, described its activity as “moderate exhalations and explosions.”
Melli said the explosions could pose a “great risk” for people living near the volcano but were of little danger for those living more than seven miles away. Few people live closer.
The volcano has been active since 1994, periodically emitting ash and rocks. Melli noted that a seasonal shift in winds could blow ash toward Cuernavaca and Mexico City.
In June, the volcano shot a 40,000-foot plume of ash into the air, the biggest exhalation since 1925. It coated Mexico City in ash, causing massive traffic jams.