Peru to declare emergency over increased activity of Ubinas volcano 

Peru’s government plans to declare an emergency status in the area surrounding the Ubinas volcano after it has been showing intense activity for the last several days, the country’s prime minister said on Monday.

Over the past few days, the volcano has been shooting ash that has reached as far as 1,700 meters above the summit of the volcano, failing over nearby towns to the south, southeast, and northeast, including Querapi, Tonohaya, Anascapa, Sanchaya, Ubinas, Lloque, and Yunga. 

#COENInforma
🟠 Volcán #Ubinas (Moquegua) emitió cenizas y gases de hasta 1000 m sobre su cima en las últimas 24 horas, en dirección a los CP Querapi y Sacohaya; y se mantiene en nivel de alerta naranja, según @igp_peru. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/CeGKr2fayX

— COEN - INDECI (@COENPeru) July 3, 2023

Last Saturday, volcanologist José Carpio with the Geophysics Institute of Peru explained that the eruptive process could maintain its current levels, with "slight and sporadic emission" of volcanic ash, or it could be the beginning of "the explosive stage of the eruption as a result of the increase in the various monitoring parameters."

As a result, the status alert for the area around the volcano in the southern region of Moquegua increased from yellow to orange, according to the National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci).

Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otarola said that the emergency status will likely be declared in the next few days to provide “the necessary prevention measures” in case the volcano explodes. 

In the vicinity of the volcano, there is "a population of approximately 2,000 people" and the authorities are distributing masks to protect them from any effects caused by the ash, the prime minister added. 

"I think we can take care of the health of these people through these preventive measures," he said.

Indeci is also urging nearby residents to stay away from the volcano and keep their windows and doors closed to prevent ash from coming inside. 

There are more than 400 volcanoes in Peru, two of which are erupting—Ubinas and Sabancaya—and five others that are still active—Misti, Huaynaputina, Ticsani, Yucamane, and Tutupaca.