Nevado del Ruiz volcano threatens Colombia with imminent eruption.

The Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia has been on orange alert since March 30, indicating that an eruption is likely within days or weeks. While local and national authorities have declared a state of emergency and ordered evacuations, many farmers are refusing to leave their homes and livestock behind. The volcano's last massive eruption in 1985 killed over 23,000 people in a matter of minutes. The slopes of the Nevado del Ruiz are fertile grounds for local farmers, who say leaving their cattle behind would ruin them. Eruptions from the volcano can be particularly lethal because the top of the peak is permanently capped by a layer of snow and ice, which would instantly melt and cause lahars.