www.seguridad.gob.ec

Quito, 24 of August of 2015

19:45

COTOPAXI VOLCANO

PRESS RELEASE 020

The Institute of Geophysics indicated that over the last 12 hours the Cotopaxi

volcano continues to have permanent gas emissions with moderate ash fall that

has reached 2,000 meters over the crater and is directed towards the West and

Northwest side of the volcano. Consequently, ash falls have been registered

over the sectors of Pastocalle, Mulaló, and Lasso.

We advise that while the route of El Chasqui-Lasso, located in the E35

highway, is accessible there is little visibility. For this reason, we recommend

you not to arbitrarily stop in the middle of the road, to slow down to 30 km /

hour, to turn on your headlights—medium intensity and we urge you to avoid

throwing out water to clean up the roads.

We remind you that in the presence of volcanic ash it is important to protect

your water sources and water tanks to prevent contamination; keep doors and

windows closed, securing windows with tape, and place wet towels under the

doors which are vulnerable to the filtration of ashes.

We also inform that the National Military provided the Institute of Geophysics

with staff and transport to help conduct the required maintenance of the

monitoring stations of the Cotopaxi; they also conducted inspection of water

supply points in the towns of Mulaló and Lasso. Meanwhile, in the Parish of

Tumbaco, the National Police informed the population, door to door, on the

Family Emergency Plan.

Once again, the Ministry of Security Coordination informs that the yellow alert

continues to be in place and recommends you to be alert to new information,

which you can access through the website www.volcancotopaxi.com and our

other official channels: www.seguridad.gob.ec, @Seguridad_Ec,

https://www.facebook.com/SeguridadEcuador.