21 April 2012 Last updated at 23:26

In pictures: Mexico volcano alert

Incandescent materials, ash and smoke are spewed from the Popocatepetl Volcano as seen from the Santiago Xalitzintla, in the Mexican central state of Puebla on April 20, 2012

Fiery rocks have been spewing from the Popocatepetl volcano outside Mexico City for another night, with the worst eruptions coming just after midnight local time.

Residents stand next to an evacuation route sign in the village of Xalitzintla

The authorities have been preparing for a potential evacuation of residents living on the slopes of the volcano.

An elderly resident of Santiago Xalitzintla, in the Mexican central state of Puebla, on April 21, 2012

Locals still remember the volcano's last major eruption in 2000, when thousands of people had to flee their villages.

Pupils, some of them wearing surgical masks, attend a class in San Nicolas de los Ranchos

Some locals schools have closed, while students in others were given surgical masks to protect them from the ash in the air.

A woman carries her baby at Zocalo square in Santiago Xalitzintla on 21 April 2012

Families with young children have been particularly worried about the evacuation plans, but officials say shelters are ready and equipped for all eventualities.

A plume of ash and smoke rises from the Popocatepetl volcano seen from the outskirts of the town of Santiago Xalitzintla

Officials said that if the eruptions should get worse, they could open more than 100 shelters to accommodate 60,000 people.

Latin America & Caribbean

In pictures: Mexico volcano alert

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