The Patagonian community of Chaitén was a ghost town yesterday after a volcano spewed ash following its first eruption in thousands of years, forcing nearly 4,500 people to flee.
The snow-capped volcano of Chaitén erupted on Friday, triggering tremors and sending a cloud of ash two miles into the air. There is no record of the volcano erupting in the past 2,000 years, according to the government mining and geology agency Sernageomin.
The Southern Chilean town was deserted, after authorities evacuated residents by boat to Chiloé island to the north and Puerto Montt on the mainland.
Technicians were dispatched to restore telephone services and electricity to the area, 760 miles south of the capital, Santiago, while experts took water samples. Before they were ferried to safety, some people in the area wore white surgical face masks to avoid inhaling the ash that lay 15cm deep in some areas.
The National Emergency Office said volcanic activity continued, with fine ash falling.
Visibility remained poor and the smell of sulphur hung heavy in the air.
"The panorama here is pretty complicated," said the interior minister, Edmundo Perez Yoma, during a visit to the area. "We have completed the first phase of the operation, which was the evacuation of practically all of the local population.
"We don't know if this is a situation that will last days, or weeks, or even more."
Schools were closed on Friday, and hospitals treated people for irritated eyes and breathing difficulties.