SAN JOSE – The Turrialba volcano in central Costa Rica continued to emit gas and ash on Tuesday, forcing the airport that serves the capital city of San Jose to remain closed.

Aeris, the company that manages Juan Santamaria International Airport, was expected to announce later Tuesday whether the terminal would resume operations following inspections and consultation with aviation authorities.

In its latest bulletin on Turrialba, which has an altitude of 3,340 meters (10,959 feet), Costa Rica’s Volcanology and Seismology Observatory spoke of intermittent emissions of ash and gases combined with “low and constant seismic activity.”

The height of the ash plume was fluctuating in the range of 200-500 meters (655-1,640 feet) early Tuesday.

Five eruptions on Monday deposited significant quantities of ash on San Jose and other cities, including Heredia and Alajuela.

An accumulation of ash on the runways forced Santamaria International to suspend operations Monday afternoon, disrupting more than 100 flights, a spokeswoman for Aeris told EFE.

Some flights were diverted to Daniel Oduber Airport in the western city of Liberia, while others were postponed or redirected to nearby countries.

Health authorities have urged the public to practice frequent hand-washing and avoid prolonged exposure to ash, particularly in the case of children, the elderly and asthma sufferers.