Story By: Juan Fenandez Mayes,  Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency:  Newsflash

Newsflash/CENAPRED

This is the moment a volcano near Mexico City erupts and sends molten lava spewing down the crater and huge columns of ash and gases high into the air.

The Popocatepetl volcano, located in the states of Puebla, Mexico and Morelos in central Mexico, 41 miles from the nation’s capital, erupted on 10th April.

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A thermal camera captures the moment the volcano erupts and sends lava spewing down the crater.

The other videos show the volcano sending columns of gas and ash high into the air.

Newsflash/CENAPRED

The National Coordination of Civil Protection said: “At 10.15pm, an eruption was registered that sent incandescent fragments flying over the volcano’s slopes.

“The column of ash and volcanic gases reached one kilometre (0.62 miles) in height and dispersed towards the northeast.

“The traffic light alert is now in #YellowPhase2.”

Mexico uses a volcano alert system ranging from green to red in ascending order of danger. The green and red alerts have two phases while yellow has three.

Newsflash/CENAPRED

At the current level, locals should take precaution and stay away from the area around the volcano. An evacuation may be needed, however it is not imminent.

Local media said that over 100 blasts have been registered by the volcano in the past few days, leaving experts concerned.

Volcanic activity has also been reported in neighbouring country Guatemala.

The Mexican blast occurred around the same time as the Indonesian volcano Anak Krakatoa erupted in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung.

Popocatepetl stands at 5,426 metres (17,802 feet) tall and is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl language and means ‘Smoking Mountain’.

It is located on the trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt which has six volcanoes and covers south-central Mexico.

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