Chile Volcano

Chile volcano forces Argentinian airport closure

Ash and gas continue to billow from the Chilean volcano that erupted violently on Saturday

Ash and gas continue to billow from the Chilean volcano that erupted violently on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of more than 3,500 people living nearby and forcing the cancellation of flights.

A column of gas six miles high and three miles wide rose from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle complex, according to Chile's national geology and mining service. There were no reports of injuries from the eruption.

Rodrigo Ubilla, Chile's undersecretary of labour, said some people near the volcano had decided not to leave their homes because they did not want to abandon their animals.

Wind carried ash across the Andes to Argentina, dusting the tourist town of San Carlos de Bariloche, which closed its airport. Officials urged people to use cover their mouths and noses against the ashand to stay indoors if possible.

The eruption is nearly 620 miles south of Chile's capital, Santiago.

Authorities had put the area on alert on Saturday morning after a flurry of earthquakes, and the eruption began in the afternoon. The National Emergency Office said it had recorded an average of 230 tremors an hour.

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