An eruption of gas and smoke emerged from a football field near the Mexican town of Pueblo Viejo in the state of Michoacan, sparking fears that a new volcano is forming under the town. A number of animals have reportedly been burned by the hot steam escaping from the ground.

According to witness reports, the smoke has been rising from the field since Sunday, July 9, 2017 and local authorities have set up a security cordon to stop residents from getting close and possibly getting burnt by the steam.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the cause of the eruption was geothermal activity from an underground swamp. The temperatures in the subsoil reached 360 °C (680 °F).

Although experts have reassured residents that a volcano will not form, residents remain skeptical, Reuters reports.

Experts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico are now carrying out further investigation.

Featured image: Cracks in the ground appear in Pueblo Viejo, Michoacan, Mexico after an eruption of smoke and gas - July 2017. Credit: Reuters