The Colombian government on Wednesday ordered evacuation of 8,000 people from the areas close to the Galeras Volcano, in the southeastern department of Narino, which began erupting on Wednesday.

According to the Colombian Geology and Mining Agency, the nearly 4,300-meter volcano began erupting at 10:58 local time (1758 GMT) with a loud explosion that was heard within a radius of several kilometers, after it rained ash on the towns of Genoy, Narino and La Florida and spewed out an eight km column of smoke.

The volcano is 520 km south of Colombian capital Bogota, close to the border with Ecuador.

Scientists have monitored Galeras for several months following reports of small tremors. Authorities declared an orange alert in March.

Regional and national emergency committees met immediately after the eruption, and ordered the highest alert level, as well as the evacuation of 8,000 residents, who will live in emergency shelters.

Raul Delgado, mayor of Pasto, capital city of the department, called for calm in the city and asked residents to stock clean water in their homes, because volcanic ash might contaminate the sources of the city's fresh water.

Galeras's last activity was a Nov. 24 shower of ash that caused no harm. Its last major explosions were in 1989 and 1993, and the latter eruption killed nine people.

Source: Xinhua