Friday May 02, 2008
Chaitén Volcano
Chaitén volcano in southern Chile erupted yesterday for the first time in over 9000 years. The volcano is located 10 km NE of the town of Chaitén on the Gulf of Corcovado. The national emergency office and residents initially identified the source of the ash as Michimahuida volcano, which has erupted more recently, but later identified the source as Chaitén. There has been continuous emission of ash. The government evacuated as many as 1,500 people from nearby villages and the town of Chaiten when the volcano erupted ash, and more than 60 earthquakes were recorded. Officials distributed fresh water and more than 10,000 protective masks. Trucks with drinking water were being sent to the area after ash affected water supplies. School classes were suspended in some areas. Winds also carried ash over the Andes to Argentina, where school was suspended in the popular Patagonian tourist towns of Esquel and Trevelin. Authorities declared a state of alert on major highways as falling ash reduced visibility, and hospitals reported an patients complaining of eye irritation
Chaitén Volcano Last Erupted 9000 Years Ago 
Linear Mode
