Chile Continues
Evacuation of Residents
Due to Volcanic Eruption
Chile began a new round
of evacuations on Monday
as the Chaiten volcano
continued to spew ash
into the sky for a
fourth day and even sent
sooty emissions into
neighboring Argentina.
Preparations were
underway to evacuate the
800 residents of the
mountain village of
Futaleufu near Chile's
border with Argentina,
said Chilean President
Michelle Bachelet, who
paid a visit to the
eruption-hit region on
Monday after being
unable to land on Sunday
due to the dense toxic
cloud emitted by the
volcano.
Vowing to give cash
subsidies, food, shelter
and medical care to the
evacuees, she praised
the 4,000 residents
evacuated from the city
of Chaiten earlier for
their orderly actions.
She said as it is not
known for the time being
how the volcano will
behave, whether it will
continue to spew ash or
whether lava will
appear, "we have taken
the precautionary
measure, which is early
evacuation."
Local media reported
that a 92-year-old woman
died of a heart attack
as she was evacuated
from Chaiten on Sunday.
The volcano erupted on
Friday after no previous
records of eruptions for
thousands of years,
spewing a thick layer of
ash that has polluted
the air and water
supply.
It also covered animal
fodder, which put at
risk the feeding of some
10,000 animals.
Minister of Agriculture
Marigen Hornkohl said
the government will take
measures to aid the
animal owners.
The eruption also
affected Argentina's
Patagonia region, where
some areas have also
been showered with ash
and some schools were
closed.
Chile has the world's
second most active
string of volcanoes
after Indonesia.
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