02:24Mexico: 'Sometimes it’s crazy' - Locals react as Popocatepetl continues to spew ash over Xalitzintla
Residents of Xalitzintla, a town located near the erupting Popocatepetl volcano, are struggling to return to their daily lives as their homes are covered in ash, as seen in footage captured on Thursday.
Locals in the town could be seen sweeping thick layers of ash from the streets and wiping down their cars as Popocatepetl continued to spew a thick column of smoke on the horizon.
“We were very scared because, imagine the volcano rumbling and thundering, what could we do? Where are we going to go? Where are they going to take us?" said resident, Leonor de Aquino.
"Lately, they say, We have to learn to live with the volcano. We have learned to live with the volcano. Sometimes it is crazy, and sometimes it is calm, like right now," added Teresa Hernandez, a second resident.
A local bus driver named Ruben Meneses said the eruption came as a surprise to the people of Xalitzintla, who had never experienced a volcanic event of this scale before.
"The situation was a bit strange because everyone was surprised. Nobody knew why the volcano was doing that and even the locals had never seen the volcano like that before," he said.
Popocatepetl’s first eruptions were registered on May 20. Mexican authorities decided to raise the alert level to 'yellow phase three', which is one step below the 'red' alarm level, on Sunday.
However, locals were advised to stay calm as the authorities take all necessary steps to safeguard the lives of all the people.
02:24Residents of Xalitzintla, a town located near the erupting Popocatepetl volcano, are struggling to return to their daily lives as their homes are covered in ash, as seen in footage captured on Thursday.
Locals in the town could be seen sweeping thick layers of ash from the streets and wiping down their cars as Popocatepetl continued to spew a thick column of smoke on the horizon.
“We were very scared because, imagine the volcano rumbling and thundering, what could we do? Where are we going to go? Where are they going to take us?" said resident, Leonor de Aquino.
"Lately, they say, We have to learn to live with the volcano. We have learned to live with the volcano. Sometimes it is crazy, and sometimes it is calm, like right now," added Teresa Hernandez, a second resident.
A local bus driver named Ruben Meneses said the eruption came as a surprise to the people of Xalitzintla, who had never experienced a volcanic event of this scale before.
"The situation was a bit strange because everyone was surprised. Nobody knew why the volcano was doing that and even the locals had never seen the volcano like that before," he said.
Popocatepetl’s first eruptions were registered on May 20. Mexican authorities decided to raise the alert level to 'yellow phase three', which is one step below the 'red' alarm level, on Sunday.
However, locals were advised to stay calm as the authorities take all necessary steps to safeguard the lives of all the people.