Costa Rica ready for volcano eruption
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Victor Gomez leads his horses to safety on the slope of the Turrialba volcano, in La Central de Turrialba, 42 miles east of San Jose, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010. Costa Rica's national Emergency Commission has declared a medium-level alert after an eruption of ash at the 10,958-foot (3,340-meter) volcano on Tuesday. A small number of people were evacuated from the slopes of the volcano, whose last major eruption occurred 145 years ago.[AP] |
Costa Rica has issued an alert against renewed activities of the Turrialba volcano which started to erupt on Tuesday.
Local authorities are organizing emergency and evacuation committees in case of a major eruption.
Tuesday's eruption, the first in 40 years but described by seismologists as "small," has already forced some 40 people in the volcano's vicinity to leave their homes.
The 3,340-meter volcano had its last major eruption in 1856.
The Costa Rican National Commission of Emergencies said that it would establish an operation center to coordinate volcano monitoring and evacuation activities.
The country's agriculture ministry warned that some 800 farm animals could be in danger when eruption ashes fall in.
The volcano, known as white tower in Spanish, is located at 80 kilometers to the east of San Jose, capital city of Costa Rica.
