A volcanic eruption threatens one of the largest cities in the world

A panel of experts recommended raising the alert level for the Popocatepetl volcano, located 70 kilometers southeast of Mexico City, after the boom, eruption of hot rock and ash gradually intensified, said Laura Velazquez, the country’s head of civil protection, in a press conference broadcast live from by Milenio TV. bloomberg according to

The alert level was raised to “three yellows” from “yellows two,” so the red rating, already dangerous, was one level closer. Velasquez said officials have been instructed to check evacuation routes and emergency shelters if necessary.

Milenio TV reported that Puebla, the state capital, was covered in ash for the first time in nearly a decade, and its airport was closed on Sunday. Mexico City’s main airport suspended flights for about six hours on Saturday.

Mexico City is the eleventh most populous city in the world.

COVER PHOTO: Popocatepetl volcano spewing rocks and ash in central Mexico in the early afternoon of December 19, 2000. Centuries after its last cataclysmic eruption, the volcano was active again, and people from nearby villages had to be evacuated. (Photo by Susana Gonzalez/Newsmakers/Getty Images).