Peru Volcano Sends Smoke Into Air, Town Evacuated
Date: 19-Apr-06
Country: PERU
"A yellow alert has been called, which means precaution due to emission of gases and steam," Armando Minaya, head of the geophysical institute in the southern city of Arequipa, told Reuters.
"Civil Defense has sent small anti-gas masks to the town of Querapi and covers for their water deposits," Minaya said. The volcano has not been this active since 1969.
Civil Defense asked the 42 farming families in Querapi, three miles (4.5 km) from the 5,672 meter-high volcano, to evacuate. But they did not want to leave, Minaya said.
The volcano, in the Moquegua region 550 miles (900 km) south of Lima, has been belching for much of the month. It has sent ash and sulfur as far away as the town of Ubinas, home to 3,500 people five miles (eight km) away. Small tremors have also been felt in nearby towns.
Minaya said emissions had affected crops and water sources.
He said geologists have traveled to the area to measure volcanic activity.
(Additional reporting by Miguel Zegarra in Arequipa)
