抖阴ap

Lima – A new explosion was registered Wednesday at Peru’s Ubinas volcano, which emitted a dense plume of ash that reached the southern city of Arequipa and caused panic among residents.

The Civil Defense chief in Arequipa, Alfredo Siu, said strong winds carried the ash some 80 kilometers (50 miles) to the city, the largest in southern Peru.

Arequipa is located about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Lima.

Moquegua regional leader Cristala Constantinides said she was “very concerned about the situation” and planned to meet with experts to discuss the situation at Ubinas.

President Alejandro Toledo declared a state of emergency in April for the area affected by the volcano.

Toledo’s emergency declaration covered the districts of Ubinas, Matalaque, Chojata, Lloque, Yunga, Ichuña, Coalaque, La Capilla, Omate, Puquina and Quinistilla in Moquegua province and the San Juan de Taracuni district in Arequipa, where more than 5,000 people live.

In neighboring Ecuador to the north, the Tungurahua volcano is also spewing gas, ash and rock, which has forced the evacuation of nearby villages.

Acid rain and gas emissions from Ubinas in April killed scores of heads of livestock, mostly llamas and alpacas.

Families living near the volcano have been relocated to other areas and, according to Canal N television, only a few people stayed behind to look after livestock and other property.

The Ubinas volcano, which is located about 1,200 kilometers (some 745 miles) south of Lima, begin emitting gases and ash in late March.