Volcano Calbuco Erupts In Chile

Volcano Calbuco in southern Chile erupted for the first time in more than four decades, sending a thick plume of ash and smoke, several kilometres into the sky Chile’s Calbuco Volcano erupted on April 22, billowing a huge ash cloud over a sparsely populated, mountainous area in southern Chile.

Authorities ordered the evacuation of the 1,500 inhabitants of the nearby town of Ensenada, along with residents of two smaller communities.

The National Mining and Geology Service issued a high alert, barring access to the area around the volcano, which lies near the cities of Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, a little more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Chile's capital, Santiago.

The 6,500 foot (2,000-meter) Calbuco last erupted in 1972 and is considered one of the top three most potentially dangerous among Chile's 90 active volcanos.