Major volcanic eruptions on Pacific 'Ring of Fire'

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The horseshoe-shaped Pacific "Ring of Fire," which is dotted with nearly 90 percent of the world’s volcanoes, is witnessing heightened volcanic activity with eruptions happening in Mexico and Vanuatu. Mt. Agung in Indonesia is nearly on the verge of eruption.

Mexico: No evacuation

The Popocatepetl Volcano near Mexico City became active on September 19. On the same day, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the country killing nearly 335 people.

The 5,426-meter high volcano has been active since 1994. Yesterday, it started spewing molten rock and dumping ash over the nearby areas. Around 20 million people live within a 60-mile radius of the volcano.

Mexico’s disaster prevention agency, Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres in a release said that in the last 24 hours nearly 25 powerful eruptions had been recorded that emitted rocks on fire which traveled 1,000 meters down the mountain slope.

The agency also clarified that the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that rattled the city on September 19 has no connection with the volcanic eruption. It further elaborated that eruptions are in the safe sphere of the volcanic activity and no evacuations have been ordered.

Experts are closely watching the eruptions and releasing data every 24 hours. Popocatepetl is a stratovolcano, which is a tall, conical volcano with a steep profile. Its eruptions are explosive and periodic. The lava from this volcano is highly viscous and doesn’t spread very far because it hardens fast.

Vanuatu: 8,000 evacuated

Meanwhile, Ambae Volcano continues to erupt after it became active on September 23. Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Charlot Salwai announced complete evacuation from Manaro. Around 8,000 people have been shifted to relief camps erected in the coastal areas.

Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department in an alert issued a few hours ago warned that the volcano is in an ongoing moderate eruption state. At this alert level, the volcanic activity is likely to continue to increase or decrease to its normal level of unrest at any time.

It has banned all human activity and warned that the zone of flying rocks and volcanic gases from the erupting volcano is about a 6.5 km radius from Manaro Voui.

Australia and New Zealand have rushed relief material to the displaced residents living in the temporary camps. Ambae is a shield volcano, which has a broad profile that is formed after a series of lava flow from fissures on the surface of the mountain.

Bali: Mild tremors

Mild tremors were felt in areas near Mt. Agung volcano in Bali that is expected to erupt anytime. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from nearly 20 to 25 km radius of the volcano. Mt. Agung is also a stratovolcano.