Thousands Evacuate As Volcano Erupts in Southern Chile
source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/06/04/chile.volcano/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
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By the CNN Wire Staff
June 4, 2011 7:25 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The government orders some 3,500 people to leave their homes
There were no immediate reports of injuries
Ash clouds waft toward Argentina
(CNN) -- A volcanic eruption in southern Chile Saturday shot smoke and ash miles into the sky and forced the evacuation of some 3,500 people.
"We are taking all necessary precautions," said Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter, announcing the government's evacuation orders.
An explosion in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic complex sent plumes of smoke more than six miles into the air, the state emergency office said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Video from the area showed white smoke drifting against an otherwise bright blue sky.
Hinzpeter said ash from the eruption could spread quickly with the wind and warned it had already reached parts of neighboring Argentina.
Chile is located on the so-called "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13657187
BBC...
4 June 2011 Last updated at 20:09 ET
Chile: Puyehue volcano chain erupts, forcing evacuation
Thick plumes of smoke billow into the sky The Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano range was last active in 1960A chain of volcanoes has erupted in southern Chile, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents.
Large columns of smoke have been rising from the Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano range, about 800km (500 miles) south of the capital Santiago.
Witnesses also reported a strong smell of ash and sulphur. A dozen small earthquakes were recorded before the eruption began.
The officials have issued a red alert - the maximum warning level for the area.
Evacuation orders were issued for some 3,500 people, the local authorities said.
They added that the residents would be relocated in temporary shelters in safe areas.
So far there have been no reports of any injuries.
However, ash clouds have drifted to neighbouring Argentina where officials have ordered residents to stay indoors.
A regional airport in the Argentine city of Bariloche has been closed due to the volcanic ash.
Eyewitness Juli Kessler told the BBC she saw "big black clouds hanging over the Andes" and ash dust lying on the road.
It is the first time since 1960 that the volcanic chain has erupted.
The BBC's Gideon Long in Santiago says Chile is one of the most volcanic countries in the world.
- 12 months ago
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EthicalVegan
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The Washington Post...
Puyehue volcano erupts in southern Chile, authorities evacuate about 600 people living nearby
By Associated Press, Updated: Saturday, June 4, 1:59 PM
SANTIAGO, Chile — The Puyehue volcano in southern Chile is erupting, and authorities have evacuated about 600 people living nearby. There have been no reports of injuries.
The governor of Chile’s Los Rios region says fire can be seen in the volcano’s crater and smoke is billowing into the sky.
Authorities put the area around the volcano on alert Saturday morning after a flurry of earthquakes. The National Emergency Office says it has recorded an average of 230 tremors an hour.
The volcano is nearly 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of Santiago, the national capital.
- 12 months ago
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