Volcano blasts tower of ash near Mexico City

No report of threat to populated areas from Popocatepetl eruption

Ulises Ruiz Basurto / EPA

Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano emits a plume of smoke and ash on Friday.

Ulises Ruiz Basurto / EPA

MEXICO CITY — The Popocatepetl volcano that towers over Mexico City is rumbling again.

The 17,886-foot mountain shot a blast of ash about 2 miles above its crater at dawn Friday.

Mexico’s national disaster prevention agency says the cloud drifted first to the west and then turned back east toward the city of Puebla.

It says the mountain shook for several minutes before the ash burst out.

The agency urges people to stay at least 7 miles from the crater, which is about 40 miles southeast of Mexico’s capital.

There were no reports of threat to populated areas.