The Secretary of National Defense (Sedena) has assigned 6,000 Army troops to care for more than 125,000 people who live in the municipalities of Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos and the State of Mexico, near the Popocatépetl volcano if an evacuation is necessary. At the moment, the volcano’s activity remains in Amarilla Phase 3, which does not require the population to leave their homes.
The Secretary of Civil Protection, Laura Velázquez Alzúa, clarified that for the moment there is no emergency, but that due to the passage of the Yellow Alert from Phase 2 to Phase 3, it is necessary for the authorities to review the evacuation routes and shelters for the population. She also indicated that all civil protection systems at the state and local level must exercise extreme caution.
At dawn this Monday, a constant tremor, emission of ash and water vapor remained. The National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) reported that this Monday morning the output of incandescent material continues with a column of smoke 1,600 meters high, heading east-northwest. The city of Puebla has had poor air quality for 24 hours in a row due to a high concentration of PM-10 and PM-2.5 particles. With levels that double and triple what is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador assured in the morning conference this Monday that Civil Protection is monitoring the activity of the volcano 24 hours a day and that the agency is in charge of coordinating a surveillance commission.
For the third consecutive day, the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and the Felipe Ángeles Airport (AIFA) have canceled dozens of flights due to the ash fall from the volcano. Aeroméxico has canceled 50 flights and Viva Aerobús recommends its network users to be aware of updates through its communication channels.
Puebla, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico have suspended classes in public and private schools due to the ash fall and the activity of the Popocatépetl volcano. Local authorities have reported that 40 municipalities in Puebla, five in the State of Mexico and seven in Tlaxcala will not have face-to-face classes, due to the activation of phase 3 of the yellow traffic light due to the Popocatépetl volcanic alert. The Ministry of Education (SEP) reported that classes will be taught remotely through the Aprende en Casa platform, which is offered through television, the internet, and YouTube.
The authorities have asked the entire educational community to follow the instructions of the National Civil Protection Coordination, the Federal Health Secretariat and the educational authorities of the Affected States.
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