Photo via Twitter
Shut down Saturday by the eruption of nearby Colima Volcano, Licenciado Miguel de la Madrid Airport aka Colima Airport has just reopened, according to a tweet from the airport operations arm of the Mexican government. A follow-up tweet announced a flight cancellation and shuffling of passengers to another scheduled departure. The airport is located in the state capital, which, like the state, is named Colima.
Mario Anguiano, governor of Colima, announced the airport closure on his Twitter account, citing falling ash.
As reported by the Associated Press, in addition to the airport closure, six hamlets located on the flanks of the volcano were evacuated, with at least 70 residents ensconced in shelters.
The Colima Volcano, also dubbed the 'Volcano of Fire' is located near the border of Colima and its neighbor western Mexican state Jalisco. The peak began erupting Thursday, ejecting ash and cinders with increasing ferocity over the next few days, prompting the evacuations.
The AP reported that "explosions of incandescent material" shot out of the volcano as far as five miles, and were told by the Interior Department that 2 inches of ash had fallen on Yerbabuena, one of the evacuated hamlets.
Civil protection officials described the volcano's activities to the AP as "atypical," not seen since a strong eruption in 1913.
Authorities told the AP they were prepared to evacuate more people if need be, and will begin giving out surgical masks to protect noses and mouths.
As of Sunday afternoon local time, there has been no official word that the eruption is over.
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