Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano spewed a three-kilometer (1.8-mile) plume of ash into the air Sunday near the capital, authorities said.

"The surrounding villages are calm. The explosions came after breaking through a dome of lava, but there is no incandescent lava flowing from the crater," Puebla civil protection director Jesus Morales told AFP.

The volcano, located some 55 kilometers (35 miles) from Mexico City, has ejected ash and steam from its crater, Morales said.

Popocatepetl, the second-largest peak in Mexico towering at 5,500 meters (18,045 feet), is also the country's largest volcano.

Puebla authorities said the military was standing guard at a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) security radius around the volcano.