May

8

Erupting Chilean volcano could spew ash for months

Filed Under World News | Posted By Jennifer Sullivan |

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volcano.jpgExperts believe Chile’s Chaiten volcano could continue belching out vast clouds of ash for months but distraught people evacuated from nearby towns say they yearn to return as soon as possible.

Chile’s National Geology Service said,” Chaiten is belching smoke, gas, steam and ash in a column that reached as high as 19 miles. The plume could collapse or the volcano’s dome may explode, generating a pyroclastic flow of superheated gases that would kill everything in its path”.

More than 4,000 people living at the foot of a Chilean volcano in Patagonia were evacuated as the mountain erupted in a plume of dust and gas that stretched almost 800 miles to Argentina.

A coating of ash over 6 inches thick has built up in places and has contaminated ground water supplies.

“Everything is so uncertain,” said Patricio Ide, who was evacuated from the remote village of Chaiten to Puerto Montt, 125 miles away from the volcano.

The mechanic said through tears,”This could last a month, three months, maybe we can never return. We are so worried…”.

National Emergency Office official Rodrigo Rojas said winds were pushing the vast ash cloud into Argentina, but that it was no longer soaring miles into the air as it did when the eruption started on Friday.



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