A new crater has formed on the Colima volcano in western Mexico following powerful eruptions, the Mexican newspaper "El Universal" reported Tuesday. Volcanologists discovered the crater during a monitoring flight over the 3,860-meter-high colossus. The scientists said that considerable amounts of volcanic boulders have piled up around the crater because of continuous explosions. A big rock is now protruding from the crater, dpa reported. The director of the civil defence force in the Jalisco state, Luis Salazar Saborio, told the newspaper that the structural changes were a sign of the continuing explosiveness of the volcano. Eruptions at a level of past intensity, or even stronger, can be expected. There is also a risk of debris avalanches, which could develop following heavy rains, dpa reported. But there is no immediate danger to the population, the civil defence force said. Forty-eight people who were evacuated from the area in the last week could now return to their homes. But officials said that the volcano continues to emit dust clouds that could be damaging to health. The Colima volcano is located on the border between the Colima and Jalisco states, approximately 600 kilometer west of Mexico City. It is among the most active volcanos in the world. --SP 2331 Local Time 2031 GMT
