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Volcan Sabancaya, of the Central Andes in Perú, is in intermitent activity since 1988, with a period of high intensity during the months of May and June 1990. The aim of this paper is to describe the eruption effects and to assess the local population response and attitude toward the volcanic event. The major impact of the ashfall was on cattle; vegetation was covered by ash and eaten by cows an sheep, causing the death of more than one hundred animals. Dust particles of ash caused irritation on eyes and throat of local people. Volcanic hazards can be reduced by an integrated programme of monitoring volcanic activity, training local observers and geological studies on the volcan history in order to estimate the likelihood of their future occurrence.