AFP From Business Insider

Santiago (AFP) – Southern Chile’s Calbuco volcano erupted for the first time in nearly half a century, spewing a giant funnel of ash 10 kilometers (six miles) into the sky and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency.

Officials ordered an evacuation for a 20-kilometer radius around the volcano and the interior ministry rushed in the army to temporarily take control of the province of Llanquihue and the town of Puerto Octay.

Emergency measures were also in place in neighboring Argentina, where the picturesque city of Bariloche — about 100 kilometers from the volcano — said it was anticipating the arrival of ash clouds within hours and warned people to stay at home.

Puerto Montt, over the border from Bariloche and the largest Chilean city in the area, was already blanketed in a cloud of ash.

“People are very, very frightened,” said Gervoy Paredes, mayor of Puerto Montt.

“The situation is pretty complicated,” he added, saying reports indicated the Blanco river was flooding because of ice melt triggered by the eruption.

Airlines canceled flights as the towering, mushroom-shaped ash cloud rose from Calbuco’s snowy peak.

Schools also suspended classes in the region.

Television images showed large traffic jams and long lines at gas stations in Puerto Montt, where a red alert was declared, along with nearby Puerto Varas.

“I would like to call on the population to remain calm and stay informed,” said Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo.

“The police have given orders and begun to evacuate.”

The initial evacuation involved about 270 families, but could be expanded, officials said.

Police called on residents to keep roads as clear as possible to aid the evacuation.

Calbuco had been inactive for 43 years.

It was a “rather explosive eruption,” said Gabriel Orozco, a volcanologist at the National Geology and Mines Service.

He said the 10-kilometer-high ash cloud risked collapsing, and warned: “River beds are very dangerous at the moment” because of the risk of ice and snow melting and causing floods.

The 2,000-meter (6,500-foot) volcano is located in the Los Lagos region, some 1,400 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.

It is the second volcano in southern Chile to have a substantial eruption since March 3, when the Villarrica volcano emitted a brief but fiery burst of ash and lava.

That eruption caused authorities to evacuate more than 3,500 people.

No lava was seen in the latest eruption, which began around 6:00 pm (2100 GMT).

But the ash cloud, which could be seen from 20 kilometers away, loomed over the crater, turning hues of pink and yellow as the sun set over the area.

Chile has about 90 active volcanoes, of which Calbuco is considered one of the most dangerous.

Southern Chile’s Calbuco volcano erupted for the first time in nearly half a century, spewing a giant funnel of ash 10 kilometers (six miles) into the sky and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency
© AFP Giordana Schmidt

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Updated story:

Chile’s Calbuco Volcano Erupts For First Time in Over 42 Years; Concerns Rise for Contaminated Water, Respiratory Illnesses

By The Associated Press From The Weather Channel

Chile’s Calbuco volcano erupted for the first time in over 42 years on Wednesday, creating a remarkable scene of smoke plumes and ash shooting into the sky. A second eruption Wednesday night blasted red-hot rocks skyward and produced an extraordinary display of volcanic lightning.

The volcano sent ash more than 6 miles skyward, increasing concerns that the dust could contaminate water, trigger respiratory illnesses and halt more flights.

The first blast surprised Chilean emergency officials, who were left with only minutes to issue an alert.

Parts of Argentina reported heavy ash falling after the eruption. According to analysis by Argentina’s meteorological service, the ash cloud was shot as high as 40,000 feet.

Meteorologist Chris Dolce of The Weather Channel pointed out that you could see the first eruption via infrared satellite. The second eruption was also visible on satellite even as the ash plume from the first eruption drifted north.

As the ash cloud spread Wednesday, “people went into a state of panic,” said Miguel Silva Diaz, an engineer who lives in Puerto Montt, a city about 14 miles from the volcano. “Then, at around 1 a.m., I heard a loud noise, as if somebody had detonated an atomic bomb.”

No injuries were reported and the only person reported missing since the eruption was located Thursday.

Authorities evacuated 4,000 people as gas and ash continued to spew, and they closed access to the area around the volcano, which lies near the cities of Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, some 620 miles south of Santiago.

“I was shocked. I had just arrived home when I looked through the window and saw the column of smoke rising up. We called our families, posted photos,” said Daniel Palma, a psychologist who lives in Puerto Varas.

“We woke up today with a blanket of fog and it hasn’t cleared. We have a layer of smoke above us,” Palma said, adding that many were concerned about the possible effects of the ash on their health.

The Chilean national geology and mining service warned that people should prepare for a third and “even more aggressive eruption.”

President Michelle Bachelet declared a state of emergency, saying the eruption of Calbuco was “more serious and unpredictable” than the one last month at the Villarica volcano, which also forced the evacuation of thousands.

“We don’t have any problems with supplies, water or sewage up to now. That’s not the problem,” said Bachelet, who visited the area Thursday. “Our problem is a respiratory one, from inhaling all of this ash, and the fact that this ash could generate some sort of environmental contamination.”

The short-term dangers related to the ash also include eye and skin infections as well as water contamination, said Bernardo Martorell, a physician and the head of the sanitary planning division at Chile’s health ministry.

“That’s why the people in the area need to evacuate,” Martorell said.

Ash continued to fall Thursday in Puerto Montt and other nearby cities, said Patricio Vera, director of a local radio station. Vera said that after the initial eruption, hundreds of people rushed to buy gasoline, forcing stations to ration sales, while supermarkets closed early to avoid the risk of looting.

The 6,500 foot Calbuco last erupted in 1972 and is considered one of the top three most potentially dangerous among Chile’s 90 active volcanos.

LATAM and other airline companies cancelled flights to and from Puerto Montt because airborne ash can severely damage jet engines.

In 2011, a volcano in the Caulle Cordon of southern Chile erupted violently, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and the evacuation of more than 3,500 people. Thick, abrasive soot coated slopes in the ski resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche, over the border in Argentina.

By Thursday afternoon, much ash had made its way to Villa La Angostura, Argentina, a small town about 56 miles (90 kilometers) northeast of Calbuco. Cars and streets were coated with a thin layer of ash, but people were otherwise going about their business.

“We are praying that the volcanic activity will be as short as possible,” said mayor Roberto Cacault.s.

For more on this story go to: http://www.weather.com/news/news/chile-calbuco-volcano-eruption-evacuations-alerts