The Tungurahua volcano had a day of relative calm on Monday after a series of high-intensity explosions on Sunday, that sent a large plume of gas, stones and ash up 45,000 feet into the sky, the Ecuatorian Geophysical Institute reported on Monday.
"The volcano has been relatively calm today and we are waiting to see what happens in the next few hours and over the next few days," experts from the Geophysical Institute of the National Polytechnic School said in interviews with local media.
The experts explained that there were no big explosions from the volcano on Monday and that they have been unable to predict what will happen in the coming hours.
"We believe it is important to maintain a prudent period of expectation because the volcano has an open conduct right now," he said adding that "a new surge of magma could easily come up to the surface."
Local authorities stressed that locals should continue monitoring the volcano's activities carefully and the population should be on high alert if any changes in the activity of the volcano happen.
The ash from Tungurahua affected the provinces of Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Bolivar, Los Rios and Manabim, where at least 200 people where evacuated in a preventive measure not seen in years.Tungurahua volcano has been active since 1999 and has had long periods of activity without a large explosion ocurring. The volcano was dormant for hundreds of years before that.
The National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) placed an "orange alert" on the situation on Sunday, which meant that high caution around the volcano area is necesarry because of the threat of increasing activity. The preventive measures affect the provinces of Tungurahua and Chimborazo, which are the geographical boundaries to the volcano. Contingency plans have been activated in both those provinces in case a larger explosion occurs.
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