Mexico Volcano Has Erupted 13 Times in Past Day, Ash Causing Flight Delays

The Popocatépetl volcano in central Mexico has erupted 13 times in the past day, causing major flight delays in the country.

The volcano is located about 45 miles southeast of Mexico City, and about 25 million people live within 60 miles of it, according to the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service.

Mexico’s National Center for the Prevention of Disasters (CENAPRED) has issued a “yellow phase 2” warning asking people to stay away from the volcano and its center “due to the danger posed by the fall of hot debris.”

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“Do not attempt to climb the volcano as there are explosions that throw hot debris, as seen recently. Respect the exclusion radius of 12 kilometers from the crater, being in this area is not safe. In case of heavy rain, stay away from the bottom of the cut due to the danger of muddy and alluvial flows,” the warning reads.

Benito Juarez International Airport, located in Mexico City, announced today X, ex Twitter, that 22 domestic and international flights were canceled after ash was found on some of the planes during security checks on Tuesday.

“Management staff and specialist teams remain on standby and are assessing ash fall conditions,” their tweet said. The announcement came after the airport warned its passengers in an earlier tweet that “some” airlines had decided to cancel flights.

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View of Popocatépetl volcano.

Artur Widak/NurPhoto via AP

“If you have a flight scheduled for today, we recommend that you notify your airline of its status. We will keep you posted,” an initial tweet is advised.

The trip was also cut short in the city of Puebla “due to gas and smoke coming from ‘Popo,'” according to the Associated Press.

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“Volcanic ash in the air can pose a serious aviation hazard even hundreds of miles from an eruption,” the American Geosciences Institute explains on its website, adding: “When swallowed into a jet engine, volcanic ash corrodes turbine blades, and molten ash can stick of critical parts, causing engine failure.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education