(QCOSTARICA) The Turrialba volcano continues to rumble on after two days of intense eruptions, spewing ash and gas to heights of some 4,000 metres (4 kilometres or 2.5 miles) above the crater, forcing the shut down of the San Jose airport for almost 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday.
The Juan Santamaria (SJO) – San Jose – airport that reopened before noon on Tuesday, is today playing catch up as passengers try to make their way out or to the country. Despite the return to normal operations, Aeris, the manager of the airport, recommends passengers contact their airline for a status on their flight.
In the latest bulletin by the Observatorio Volcanologico y Simologgico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI) and the Red Sismologica Nacional (RSN), the volcano has been relatively calm with no major eruption, but expect intermittent emissions of gas and has combined with “low and constant seismic activity.”
The OVSICORI reports “…seismic pulses averaged 6 per hour, until 16:00 (4:00pm) when activity significantly decreased, and columns of ash ranged in height between 200 and 400 metres above the summit.”
The Ministerio de Sauld (Health authorities) are urging the public to wear masks to avoid inhaling the ash particles and practice frequent hand-washing and avoid prolonged exposure, in particular to the elderly and those with respiratory problems, such asn asthma sufferers.
