Mexico's giant "Popocatepetl" volcano threw up an ash column almost 2 miles (3 kilometers) high and spat glowing rocks down its snow-clad slopes on Sunday, but nearby towns were not affected, officials said. Popocatepetl, whose name means "smoking mountain" in the Nahuatl Indian language spoken by the Aztecs, spewed out the huge plume of ash and rocks in a three-minute exhalation, Reuters reported. "The recent activity is within the expected scenarios, and there is no evidence of a major risk in the following days," said the disaster prevention center CONAPRED. "No reports of ash fall have been received."
