Colombia’s Institute of Mining and Geology (Ingeominas) Tuesday evening lowered the alert on the Galeras volcano in the south-western department of Nariño from orange to yellow.
According to the Colombian Ministry of Justice and the Interior, the alert was lowered “given that over the last few days a notable drop in its seismic activity was observed.”
Ingeominas observed however that magma is still present close to the volcano’s surface.
The change in alert status means that some 2,000 people evacuated to housing in a safe zone are now permitted to return to their homes.
Last August 25 Ingeominas lowered the alert from red to orange, after Galeras errupted without causing any significant injuries of deaths.
Prior to the August erruption, Galeras last erupted in January. The event did not cause any deaths or injuries, but lava flows running down the sides of the volcano caused forest fires. The 4,276 meter volcano has been active for twenty years.
