Authorities on Monday maintained the orange alert level for Galeras volcano, saying the volcano has been “extremely quiet” since Saturday’s eruption.
Authorities in the southern Colombian department of Nariño stated that they had expected Galeras to be releasing a lot of gas, vapor and ash, but uncharacteristically nothing of the sort has been recorded and thus the alert level will be maintained at orange, reported Colombian media.
“[The lack of activity] would suggest that the opening is not complete or does not exist, and therefore we maintain eruption level two. We will not rule out a potential eruption in the coming days or weeks,” said Martha Calvache, of the Colombian Institute for Geology and Mining.
Calvache explained that the nearby city of Pasto, which is currently celebrating its annual carnival, is not within the high threat area of Galeras, but that it is possible the town could suffer shock waves or falling ash. She stressed that authorities have launched a campaign to warn tourists, and have advised citizens living closer to the volcano to evacuate to pre-prepared shelters.