Chile volcano eruption shuts down Argentinian airports, ski resorts

Chile Volcano Erupts

A Chile volcano located along the Argentinean-Chilean border erupted violently on Monday, sending massive amounts of ash that forced airports, Andean ski resorts and most other facilities to shut down.

Not only suffocating ash but dangerous toxic fumes and flash floods threatened villages near the Chile volcano. Authorities have reported that 4,000 people from 22 villages were able to evacuate the immediate vicinity. A few individuals who are hesitant to leave their livestock and property are being convinced to seek shelter as well, Chilean officials said.

The Chile volcano complex put on a display of lightning within the ash cloud. Officials said that even if the ash cloud seems to have dissipated or drifted away, the volcano remains restive and unpredictable.

Winter skiing season is about to get underway but tourists will be disappointed to find ash instead of snow coating the slopes. The local economies of tourism cities of San Carlos de Bariloche and Villa Angostura are expected to suffer a massive blow.

Because of the widespread drifting of the ash cloud formed by the Chile volcano, flights between the Andean resorts and Buenos Aires were cancelled until June 12. Aerolinas Argentinas cancelled nighttime flights from Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile.

The 5,900-feet-high Chile volcano last erupted in 1960 after the most powerful earthquake ever recorded at magnitude 9.5 hit Chile. The country is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire and its Andean volcanoes are especially active. An estimated 60 of the volcanoes have erupted in the past half millennium.

Posted by James Fried on Tuesday June 07 2011, 5:11 AM EST. Ref: AP. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0