A plume of smoke billows on May 29, from the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, located on the border of the departments of Caldas and Tolima in Colombia, some 130 km west of Bogota in this picture from the Colombian Geological and Mining Institute. Colombian authorities have elevated the alert status in the area to orange due to an increase in the volcano's activity.

People cover their faces to keep them from breathing ashes created by Ruiz volcano's eruption in Manizales, Colombia, on May 29. Colombian authorities elevated the alert to orange, after an unusual increase in the volcano activity.