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On Saturday, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa signed executive decree 757, declaring a national state of emergency due to the recent increased volcanic activity of Cotopaxi.
The measure allows the government to assign the necessary resources to effectively look after those affected by volcanic ashes coming from Cotopaxi.
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Presidente @MashiRafael firma Decreto 755 Estado de Excepción en todo el país por actividad del #Cotopaxi pic.twitter.com/WwMRZ2WDKd
— Presidencia Ecuador (@Presidencia_Ec)
August 15, 2015
President (Rafael Correa) signing Decree 755 State of Emergency for the whole country due to activity in Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi, 50 kilometers south of the capital, exploded twice in the early hours of Friday. The government says this does not signify an erruption is imminent.
Correa explained during his Saturday television show, “What does this (state of emergency) allow me to do? To take resources form wherever necessary, except education and health, in order to attend to a potential emergency. To mobilize resources that may be necessary, including private ones – to take a car, a truck, and go to Cotopaxi, if necessary, and transport people. And to control the flow of communication. And that is very important. In these types of emergencies, people say all sorts of things, and it can provoke panic, and therefore more problems.”
The president explained that while there are no lahars (debris flows) or glaciers melting so far, because of pyroclastic flows (hot ashes, gas and rock), glacier melting could be provoked.
Latacunga residents evacuating (AFP)
On Saturday morning, nearby towns and small cities such as parts of Latacunga, Mulalo, and Lasso were evacuated.
Ecuador’s Cotopaxi volcano is the second highest active volcano in the world.
#VIDEO: Highest world active #volcano, #Cotopaxi in #Ecuador began eruptive process, declared in #yellow alert. pic.twitter.com/IAz4JJWwBb
— Or Ravid אור רביד (@OrRavid)
August 15, 2015
#Cotopaxi viene la ceniza/die Asche kommt/Here come the ashes pic.twitter.com/oqKQUvngWQ
— Stephan Küffner (@skueffner)
August 15, 2015
