Since early Tuesday morning, an ash rain has endangered at least 2,000 people in southern Peru. The Ubinas, the most active volcano Among the 400 volcanic structures of the Andean country, it has been reactivated, unleashing the concern of the nearby towns and the authorities. Since its first outbreak, which formed a column of ashes of up to five kilometers and dispersed within a radius of 10 kilometers, there are already 17 detonations that have occurred in the last two days. Those affected agree that it is difficult to breathe due to the ashes and dust that have covered their houses, as well as the smell of burning fuel.
The last time that Ubinas, located in the Moquegua region, presented volcanic activity was in July 2019. Its explosions, which lasted three months, reached eight kilometers above the crater and dispersed to a radius of 250 kilometers. Although the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) has predicted that this eruption will not be more than moderate, its length of time or its real magnitude cannot be specified.
This Wednesday, the Council of Ministers approved declaring a State of Emergency in seven districts of the General Sánchez Cerro province, in Moquegua for 60 days. They are Coalaque, Chojata, Ichuña, Lloque, Matalaque, Ubinas, and Yunga. “It has been identified that the population, cultivation areas, among others, are exposed to a very high risk due to the eruptive process of the Ubinas volcano, identifying the condition of imminent danger,” says the supreme decree. The document also justifies the decision, arguing that “the response capacity of the Regional Government of Moquegua has been exceeded, for which reason the technical and operational intervention of government entities is necessary.”
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister, Alberto Otarola, He explained that the measure will allow them to carry out immediate and exceptional actions to reduce the risk, in addition to response and rehabilitation interventions. “The central task of the Government is to protect the population,” he stressed. For now, this Thursday the Minister of Transport and Communications, Paola Lazarte, will travel to the area. Due to the emergency, classes have been suspended in thirteen initial, primary and secondary education centers, and two institutes.
One of the shortcomings to face the explosions of the Ubinas volcano is where to receive the citizens who will be evacuated. The Sirahuaya shelter, located 12 kilometers from the crater, has not been operational since its creation in 2019. Local authorities are working against the clock to get it enabled. “We are complementing what past efforts left us. We are going to need 14 million soles (almost 4 million dollars). We are waiting for the declaration of emergency to start the work, but it can receive the families”, declared, with optimism, the assistant manager of Disaster Risk Management of the Regional Government of Moquegua, Juan Paredes Urbiola. However, some citizens think otherwise. “The Sirahuaya shelter is made up of small modules where a bed can fit, but there is no water, drainage or electricity. Between dying there or dying here, the truth is that one prefers to die at home,” Rocío Ramos, a neighbor from the Ubinas district, told the newspaper Trade.
Although the Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute (Ingemmet) has reported that this Wednesday the continuous emissions of ash reached a maximum height of 1,000 meters above the top of the crater -a magnitude lower than the first day-, the threat is latent since the IGP has 173 earthquakes have been detected, associated with rock rupture processes that have occurred inside the volcano.
