Colombia announces red alert after the Galeras volcano erupted
Posted on 25. Aug, 2010 by Allen Smith in General
The Galeras Volcano on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 erupted alerting the authorities to issue the highest level of warning.
The red alert was issued by the government after the National Geological Institute prompted one; implying the the volcano has erupted and is active.
The Galeras volcano near near San Juan de Pasto in southwestern part of the country had a non-explosive eruption and showed signs of activity spewing fumes, ash and lava. Galeras activity prompted people staying in and around the mountain to evacuate, although people are reluctant to move out of the place.
Galeras Volcano is about 9 kilometers from the town of San Juan de Pasto and is 4,276 meters above MSL. It is in the Andes about 500 km from the Colombia’s southeast of its Capital city Bogota and near the southern border with the Ecuador.
The authorities too ordered for evacuation of about 8,000 people living in close proximity of the Galeras. According to the staff of the State Geological Service, the Galeras is witnessing an unstable phase, and that it erupted about 10 times during 2009 too. The authorities did not report any damage or loss of life.
