On Monday, the Peruvian government announced that it will declare a state of emergency for the area surrounding the Ubinas volcano, after persistent seismic activity shook the region and sent a column of toxic gas into the air.
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The president of Peru’s Council of Ministers, Alberto Otárola, announced that the emergency declaration was anticipated for the southern department of Moquegua, where the volcano is located.
“We are taking charge of these phenomena, and we are always proactively coordinating with all institutions to face them,” Otárola said.
According to Otárola, the emergency order will allow the government to take “the measures necessary” to prevent health risks.
Official reports state that masks are already being distributed as ash fills the air.
Furthermore, Otárola said that around 2,000 people stand to be affected in the immediate area; he urged the population to remain calm.
According to several reports, Moguegua’s regional government raised the alert level on Sunday from yellow to orange, to indicate heightened danger from the volcano.
According to official data, Ubinas is the most active volcano in Peru, forming part of the “Ring of Fire”, an area of seismic activity that surrounds the tectonic plate underneath the Pacific Ocean.
According to the Geophysics Institute of Peru (IGP), the current eruption began around June 22.
The institute recorded 402 earthquakes associated with the volcano between June 23 and 25. During that period of activity, a plume of ash rose nearly 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) above the volcano’s peak.
Official data shows that the last large eruption at Ubinas came in 2019, resulting in thousands of people being displaced.