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Mexican volcano erupts briefly,
spewing ash, rocks
Popocatepetl volcano, 64 km away
from Mexico City, spewed a huge
column of ash and rocks Sunday
in a three-minute eruption, but
nearby towns were not affected,
local media said.
The 5,452-meter volcano has spat
ash several times since Dec.
1and Sunday's eruption was
within the expected scenarios.
Local disaster prevention center
said there is no evidence of a
major risk in the following
days.
Popocatepetl, whose name means
"smoking mountain" in the
Nahuatl Indian language spoke by
the Aztecs, is home to some 18
million people. It came to life
in 1994 after decades of
inactivity.
The volcano becomes more active
during winter months in Mexico
as more ice expands and causes
fissures in solidified lava in
the crater, allowing smoke, ash
or molten lava to spew out, said
scientists.
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