Officials said Monday that 120 people residing near Colombia’s Nevada del Ruiz volcano were being evacuated due to increased seismic activity.
The volcano’s 1985 eruption, which killed 25,000 people, is regarded the worst natural disaster in Colombian history and one of the deadliest eruptions of the twentieth century.
According to Blu Radio, the governor of the Caldas department, Luis Carlos Velasquez, approximately 40 families living near the volcano will be moved as a “preventative” measure.
He claims that some of the homes near the smoking crater are not accessible by mobile phone or radio, making it difficult to alert them in the event of an emergency.
The ministry of mines reported a “significant increase in seismic activity” last week, while Colombia’s SGC geological agency cautioned of a “probable eruption within days or weeks.”
“We have an orange alert due to a change in seismology at the Ruiz volcano,” President Gustavo Petro tweeted. Mayors must develop procedures for this level of alert.”
The orange level indicated the possibility of an eruption “larger than any in the last decade,” according to Colombia’s UNGRD disaster risk management section.
