Peru’s government declared Thursday a state of emergency in nine districts in southern Peru affected by recent activity by the Ubinas volcano, daily Peru.21 reported.
The nine districts include Ubinas, Matalaque, Chojata, Omate, Coalaque, Ichuna, Lloque and Yunga in the Moquegua region, and the San Juan de Tarucani district in Arequipa region.
According to the Civil Defense Institute, Indeci, during the 60-day state of emergency, the regional and local governments should carry out “immediate, exceptional measures” to ensure the safety of the local population. The population in the village of Querapi, closest to the Ubinas volcano, is to be moved over the next several months.
A yellow alert was declared earlier this month after the volcano started to spew ash. Although it has been active for some time, the previous eruption of ash occurred in 2009. According to vulcanologists monitoring the volcano, the real danger is from ash, which affects animals and people since it permeates the pasturelands and water. The lava from this type of volcano is viscous and moves very slowly, cooling and hardening quickly.
The Ubinas volcano is located in the Moquegua region, and about 70 kilometers from the city of Arequipa.
