Murillo could be affected in the event of an eruption
According to the Colombian Geological Service (SGC) in the event of an eruption, Murillo could be affected by the fall of pyroclasts that “will surely affect us”says Gómez, who points out that “because of the height” in which the municipality is located, at about 3,000 meters above sea level, it can be very small.
The residents who are close to the Vallecitos and Recio rivers may be affected because, according to Gómez, there is going to be a “A rise in river flows. They are the evacuation priority.”
They also expect the air to be contaminated in a possible eruption but “In addition to that, we do not expect a higher incidence.”
Referring to the preventive evacuations ordered by the national government, Gómez said that the “Opinion is sharply divided.”
“Many people understand that they can easily reach recover their crops and their animals in case of an emergencybut there is also that the peasant from Murillo is deeply rooted in his land and his customs, so in this context, getting them out and telling them to come later and we will look at the economic issue has not been so easy,” he explains.
In this direction, the Mayor’s Office works with those people who choose to stay in their places despite the risk of an eruption. “So we are in the process of being able to reach them even more without having to resort to the public force, as has been seen in other municipalities.”
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Without tourists, Murillo lived Holy Week
One of the sectors that has been most affected in Murillo is tourism because thePeople who usually visit the town during Holy Week on this occasion did not arrive like in other years.
One of those who feels the severity of these absences is the merchant Luz Neira Vargas, who tells EFE that they lost “everything from Easter” Well, the visitors who crowded the main park from where you can see the volcano on clear days and now you can see the fumaroles, have not arrived.
She, who has lived in Murillo for seven years, trusts what the locals say who recommend not to leave the houses in case of an eruption.
“We are calm. We take things calmly”says the woman who is clear that in the event of an eruption of the sleeping giant, she should go to the highlands, which is one of the “safe areas.”