Spectacular Footage Shows Mexico's Popocatepetl Volcano Blowing its Lid [VIDEO]

Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano erupted Tuesday, sending a massive plume of volcanic ash and "incandescent fragments" at least 2 kilometers into the air. Officials warn Mexico City, about 55 kilometers to the northwest, could be affected by the ash cloud, while there are already reports of ashfall in towns closer to the volcano.

Mexico's National Disaster Prevention Center (Cenapred) reported that the explosion occurred at 2:48 p.m. and "generated an ash emission 2 km high and incandescent fragments released from a distance approximately 100 meters from the crater."

Cenapred reports the alert level at the 5,452-meter-tall volcano remains moderate at Yellow Phase 2.

As Popocatepetl erupted, people living up to 25 kilometers away from the mountain reportedly rushed from their homes. According to Russia Today, about 4.5 million people live within a 50-km radius of the volcano and about 650,000 of them live in what's considered a "high risk" area.

Popocatepetl (known colloquially as "Don Popo") also erupted in May, giving off a record-breaking 300 emissions in just one day.

Erik Klemetti, volcanologist at Denison University, told the New York Daily News that the last time Don Popo exploded with such magnitude was two years ago, but that it has seem similar, smaller eruptions in recent months. He said the Yellow Phase 2 warning has been in effect for months and indicates such an explosion could happen at any time.

"The reason it ended up getting everyone's attention is because it was such a gorgeous day and there was good footage from the webcams," Klemetti said.

No injuries or damage from the blast have been reported.