National Emergency Commission lifts two road closures near Turrialba Volcano

The decreased activity registered at Turrialba Volcano throughout this week prompted emergency officials and experts on Thursday to lift two preventive closures on roads to the volcano located in Cartago, some 67 kilometers northeast of the capital San José.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) made the decision after analyzing information gathered during recent on-the-ground inspections conducted by experts from various agencies. Commision officials also recommended that the Education Ministry reopen four schools that were still closed as a precaution.

Emergency officials will open passage on roads in the communities of La Silvia and La Pastora, however, the access route to the Turrialba Volcano National Park in La Central will remain closed.

CNE president Iván Brenes Reyes said the volcano still registers seismic activity, therefore experts from Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica and the National Seismological Network are still monitoring and conducting periodic inspections.

Brenes will visit the area on Friday to assess progress on different actions carried out since the March 9 eruptions, including road repairs, farm animals’ care and information distribution among the population.

He also will meet with residents of La Central to explain CNE’s decision to maintain the road closure. Later that day he will inspect evacuation routes and hold a meeting with the mayors of all cantons in the surroundings of the volcano.

CNE’s most recent report states Turrialba volcano maintains low activity, consisting mainly of small eruptions of gas, ash and vapor trails.

The last strong eruption was recorded at 8:55 p.m. on March 13, when the crater spewed incandescent material, most of which fell back into the crater.

See a video of a small gas and ash eruption recorded at 10:07 a.m. on Thursday by OVSICORI’s webcam.