Poas volcano eruption
© XinhuaPhoto taken on April 14, 2017 shows the Poas Volcano spewing smoke and ash in Alajuela province, north of San Jose, capital of Costa Rica.
Just two days after suddenly erupting with enough force to leave a crack in the dome of its crater, Costa Rica's Poas Volcano on Friday spewed a plume of smoke and ash more than three kilometers into the air.

The national volcano and earthquake monitoring agency Ovsicori said the volcano erupted twice, with the stronger eruption occurring at 7:57 a.m. local time (13:57 GMT), preceded by a smaller eruption some 18 minutes earlier.

"The plume, visible from different points in the country, went higher than three kilometers, according to Javier Pacheco of the Oviscori," the daily La Nacion said.

On Thursday, officials decided to temporarily close the Poas Volcano National Park through Friday to minimize visitors' and locals' exposure to ash and gases that can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and skin.

The closing was also designed to give vulcanologists an opportunity to "carry out the necessary studies and assessments" of Wednesday's unusual phreatic eruption, or blast of steam mixed with volcanic material.

Officials maintained a "green alert" for seven nearby cantons, which warns area residents to avoid coming into contact with fallen ash, especially if suffering from respiratory problems.

Poas is located just 40 kilometers north of the capital San Jose, in Alajuela province.

The country's Turrialba Volcano, located in the east, is usually the one making headlines for sending plumes of ash and smoke as high as 4,000 meters into the sky.