https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ ... 023-05-18/
Mexican authorities canceled in-person classes for more than 100,000 students on Thursday in multiple towns clustered around one of the country's most active volcanoes as its fiery activity intensified in recent days, raising health concerns.
A series of relatively small but powerful eruptions from the snowcapped Popocatepetl volcano prompted Puebla state officials to suspend both public and private school classes at all levels across 22 towns due to falling ash, according to officials.
Classes in the affected towns will temporarily be conducted online.
Falling ash, plus gases spewed by the eruptions, can be harmful when inhaled, and in a worse case scenario could trigger the need for massive evacuations.
Popocatepetl, meaning "Smoking Hill" in the native Aztec language Nahuatl, is one of the world's most closely monitored volcanoes. It rises only about 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Mexico City, home to about 9 million people or around 22 million including the metropolitan area.