The eruption shortly after 11 p.m. Monday sent a column of ash about 5 kilometers (3 miles) above the crater of the 12,533-foot (3,820-meter) volcano, according to the University of Colima monitoring station.

Officials in nearby Jalisco state announced a voluntary evacuation of three villages nearest the crater and people in other towns were urged to be ready to move.

The new eruption followed a Sunday afternoon blast that sent a towering column of black ash into the clouds. Officials called it the strongest eruption in decades at the volcano that straddles the line between Colima and Jalisco states, 690 kilometers (430 miles) west of Mexico City.

The off-limits zone extended at least 7.5 kilometers (4.5 miles) around the crater and an alert zone was in effect for 11.5 kilometers (7 miles).

The volcano staged spectacular eruptions Thursday night and Friday morning, as well as on May 23 and May 30.

The first eruption seen by settlers came in 1560. The volcanic system is considered to be among the most active and potentially the most destructive of the volcanoes in Mexico.

A 1913 blast left a crater 1,650 feet (500 meters) deep.

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