The Nevado del Ruiz volcano, located 80 miles west of the Colombian capital, Bogotá, is causing concern among experts and authorities due to increased seismic activity. According to the country's Geological Survey, an earthquake swarm has reached levels not seen since a disastrous eruption in the 1980s, which claimed the lives of at least 25,000 people.
The Colombian government has issued evacuations in the potential impact zone, where an estimated 57,000 people reside in nearby municipalities. This population has only increased since the Armero tragedy in 1985 when thousands of people were caught off guard.
The Global Volcanism Program reported on March 30 that approximately 11,600 earthquakes were detected, and the movement of underground fluid was likely responsible for increased ash emissions. The authorities have raised the alert level to orange, the second-highest level on a four-stage scale.
Although there have been 18 orange alerts since 1985, Colombian officials stated that none have resulted in significant eruptions. Nonetheless, President Gustavo Petro has encouraged people in the potential impact zone to evacuate, and the Departmental Risk Councils have been asked to expedite the preventive people evacuation.
"We have asked the Departmental Risk Councils to speed up the preventive evacuation of 2,500 families that are at high risk due to the contingency of Nevado del Ruiz," Petro said in a statement.
Volcanologists have compared Nevado del Ruiz to Washington's Mount St. Helens, which is also capable of explosive eruptions and hazardous mudflows that can engulf everything in their path. However, experts continue to monitor the situation closely and hope to avoid another tragedy.