Popo slows down

Residents of the Puebla state town of San Nicolas de los Ranchos welcomed diminished activity from Mexico's famed Popocatepetl volcano on Sunday (April 29).

Known as "Popo" by locals, the volcano started emitting ashes last week which prompted Mexico's National Centre for Disaster Prevention to raise the alert level for Popocatepetl.

Municipal officials said people are more calm now because of government assistance and planning.

According to civil protection authorities, exit routes for towns have been cleared and shelters established with bed and kitchen facilities in case an order for evacuation is given.

The 5,483 metre (17,992 feet) volcano, whose name means "smoking mountain" in the Nahuatl Indian language, lies just 64 kilometres (40 miles) southeast of Mexico City and its 18 million residents.

The volcano has spat out mile-high clouds of ash and smoke several times this year. Its last major eruption took place in 2000, just one week shy of Christmas Day. Over 40,000 evacuees haphazardly fled their homes and choked highways heading out of the area.