CHILE: Chilean volcano erupts as government forces hold-outs to evacuate

Record ID: 365601

  • Title: CHILE: Chilean volcano erupts as government forces hold-outs to evacuate
  • Date: 9th May 2008
  • Summary: (W1) CHAITEN, CHILE (MAY 08, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS AERIALS OF SMOKE AND ASHES FROM THE CHAITEN VOLCANO IN CLOUDS; CRATER OF VOLCANO COVERED BY SMOKE AND ASHES SOLDIER TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS SMOKE AND ASHES FROM VOLCANO CLOUD OF ASHES VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN PLANE LOOKING AT MAP VARIOUS AERIALS OF VILLAGE OF CHAITEN, RIVERS AND ROADS FILLED WITH ASHES VARIOUS AERI
  • Embargoed: 24th May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Chile
  • Country: Chile
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA2L0ZIQE7DUU42FYLIGNMZWXXI
  • Story Text: Chaiten volcano spews ashes and fiery material as nearby residents evacuate.
    Chile's Chaiten volcano spewed more ash and fiery material on Thursday (May 08) as a court authorized police to use force if necessary to evacuate nearby residents.
    Smoke and ash from the volcano covered the crater completely as the emissions filled the cloudy sky.
    Government officials on a military helicopter surveyed the ash-covered village of Chaiten, located just 6 miles (10 km) from the volcano.
    A white coat of ash could be seen covering roads, rivers and ground.
    The Chilean court has ordered the complete evacuation of a 30 mile (50 km) radius of the volcano -- an order that gives police permission to use force.
    In the nearby village of Puerto Palena, local residents awaited planes to evacuate them.
    Most evacuated residents are all now in the remote town of Puerto Montt, 125 miles (200km) away from the volcano.
    Experts said it would be weeks and possibly even months before residents, who had to leave their belongings, pets and lives behind, could return.
    The long dormant 3,280-foot (1,000-metre) Chaiten volcano began erupting on Friday and the huge plume of volcanic ash soaring around 7-1/2 miles (12 km) into the air is clearly visible on satellite images cutting a swathe across South America's southern tip.
    Experts say the volcano could continue belching out vast clouds of ash for months and could rumble on for years.
    Chile has the world's second most active string of volcanoes behind Indonesia. It is home to 2,000 volcanoes, 500 of which experts say are potentially active. Around 60 have erupted over the past 450 years.
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