SANTIAGO // A volcano in Chile that had been dormant for 54 years suddenly erupted twice in the space of hours with tremendous force, blasting huge clouds of ash into the air and forcing the evacuation of about 5,000 people.
There were no immediate reports of injuries after the eruptions from the Calbuco volcano in southern Chile on Wednesday evening and then again seven hours later, early Thursday.
A state of emergency was declared after the first eruption, and air traffic was disrupted.
Chilean TV aired spectacular footage of ash and flames belching from the mouth of the volcano.
The first eruption spewed a giant mushroom of ash 10 kilometres into the sky. Ash was expected to reach neighbouring Argentina.
Officials ordered an evacuation for a 20km 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.
The National Geology and Mining Service said the volcano might start oozing lava, raising the possibility of mountaintop snow and ice melting, causing floods and raising water levels in rivers.
It said a third eruption was likely over the next few hours.
Chile president Michelle Bachelet said she would travel to the affected area Thursday along with several ministers.
“The ash might damage crops, animal feed, bridges, roads, people’s work routines, tourism and especially their health,” she Bachelet said.
The first eruption lasted nearly 90 minutes, volcanologist Gabriel Orozco of the geology service said.
On a 0-8 scale measuring volcano eruption strength, the first one came in at four or five, Rodrigo Penailillo, the interior minister, said.
The second one was just about as powerful, the ministry said.
It said there were no immediate reports of people hurt or missing.
Until minutes right before the blast, volcano eruption monitoring systems had picked up nothing. In fact, volcano watchers in Chile had been watching another one, Villarica also in the south, for a possible eruption.
Emergency measures were also in place in Argentina, where Bariloche — about 100 kilometres 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 Rio Blanco was flooding because of ice melt triggered by the eruption.
Airlines cancelled flights as the towering ash cloud rose from Calbuco’s snowy peak and schools also suspended classes in the region.
Television footage 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,” Mr Penailillo said.
Police called on residents to keep roads as clear as possible to aid the evacuation.
Chile has about 90 active volcanoes, of which Calbuco is considered one of the most dangerous.
* Agence France-Presse
