Popocatepetl, which is located just 70 km (40 miles) from the Mexican capital, is the second highest peak in the country and also one of the most active volcanoes in the region.

Axar.az reports citing Sputnik.

Mexican authorities have issued a yellow alert warning as Popocatepetl erupted late Monday evening, belching a huge amount of thick ash and various debris over one kilometer into the air and several kilometers away from the crater.

In the meantime, footage of the blast has been shared on the internet.

People have been asked to stay clear of the area within a 12 km radius of the crater, as the ash from the volcano is expected to be dispersed towards the northeast area of Puebla.

The volcano has shown an increase in activity over the last few weeks.

Video de la fuerte explosión del #Popocatépetl de las 21:38 h.

Fragmentos incandescentes a más de 2 km del cráter; por eso es muy importante respetar el radio de seguridad de 12 km. pic.twitter.com/ZQUruEgpT7

— SkyAlert (@SkyAlertMx) March 19, 2019