South America’s most active volcanoes erupted
early on 03-03-15 Tuesday in southern Chile, spewing heavy smoke into the air as lava
surged down its slopes, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of people.
The Villarrica volcano erupted around 3am local time,
according to the National Emergency Office, which issued a red alert and
ordered evacuations. Local media showed images of the volcano bursting at the
top, glowing in the dark amid heavy smoke and rivers of lava.
The 2,847-metre volcano in Chile’s central valley, 670
kilometres south of Santiago, sits above the small city of Pucon, which has a
population of about 22,000 people.
Tourists flock there for outdoor activities like
kayaking, horseback riding, fishing and hiking around the volcano, which last
had a major eruption in 1984. Dozens of tourists were among those evacuated. Read more…..
Volcano erupts in Chile in pictures