Volcano Near Mexico City Spews Out Ash Over A Mile High

Volcano near Mexico City spews out ash over a mile high < br /> 2012-05-13 05:16:44 GMT+7 (ICT) PUEBLA, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- The Popocatepetl volcano near Mexico City continues to remain highly active with a large ash cloud reaching a height of more than one mile (1.6 kilometer) on Friday evening, officials said.The volcano, which is located around 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of Mexico City and on the outskirts of three different states, namely Puebla, Morelos and the State of Mexico, registered at least 24 spurts recently, spewing out a large ash cloud reaching 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) high.Puebla's State Secretary Fernando Manzanillo, however, said Popocatepetl's alert level stands at phase two within the Yellow Alert level. Mexico's alert levels begin with two phases within the Green Alert level, followed by three Yellow Alert phases, which precede the final two Red Alert phases.The large ash cloud headed toward the east-northeast direction. While authorities have warned locals to stay alert of the volcano's activity, the ash cloud currently represents no threat to the local population. Nonetheless, the country's Civil Protection has continued monitoring the volcano's activity and the safety of nearby residents.The closest community belongs to the municipality of Ecatzingo in the State of Mexico, which is located approximately 19 kilometers (11.8 miles) from the crater. Residents there were previously warned to prepare for an evacuation in the event of a possible eruption of magma.

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