Smoke, ash and red-hot rocks belched from the Popocatepetl volcano near Mexico City on Wednesday, heightening the anxieties of Mexicans still shaken by last week's powerful earthquake that killed hundreds and severely damaged thousands of buildings.
Popocatepetl, whose name means "Smoking Mountain" in the native Nahuatl language, showered a village at its base with ash, shook with the force of a 1.8 magnitude earthquake and spewed flaming rocks to distances of up to 1 km (0.62 mile), the National Disaster Prevention Center (Cenapred) said.
Eruptions and exhalations take place on average about twice a year since the volcano reactivated 23 years ago and are not seen by disaster officials as a major threat, but the activity has worried Mexicans following the 7.1 magnitude earthquake eight days ago and a series of aftershocks since.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.