The San Cristóbal volcano, the highest and most active peak in Nicaragua (northwest), registered this Sunday an explosion of gases and ashes up to 1,500 meters high that spread over three neighboring communities, informed an official source.
During the explosion, “the ash column reached a height of 1,500 meters above (the) crater of the volcano that due to the effect of the wind” reached with “a small layer of ashes the communities Las Grecias 3, Las Grecias 4 and the city of El Viejo”, indicated the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter) in a communiqué.
However, the volcano’s activity was of “moderate intensity” and did not cause major damage to nearby towns, it said.
San Cristóbal, 1,745 meters high, is located in the department of Chinandega and is part of the volcanic chain of the Pacific region of Nicaragua.
According to Ineter, during the volcanic explosion “the volcanic tremor and the real time seismic amplitude (RSAM)” presented “an increase” that later returned “to its usual values”.
The entity considers that the increase in the volcanic activity of San Cristóbal is for the moment “part of its normal behavior” and did not rule out that “new explosions of similar or smaller magnitude to those registered” this Sunday “may occur”.
When the eruption of the San Cristóbal volcano is strong, it generally affects the municipalities of Chichigalpa, Corinto, El Realejo, El Viejo and Chinandega (departmental capital of the same name).
Nicaragua has a total of 28 volcanoes, of which seven are active. San Cristóbal volcano, is located 95 miles northwest of Managua.
