Renewed vigorous eruptions occurred at Chaitén volcano in Chile on Tuesday. A government volcanologist warned that the eruption was only at the beginning stage and that a larger explosive eruption was possible. On Tuesday the volcano was exploding very strongly. Nearly 400 people from the surrounding area, including emergency workers and journalists, were put aboard two navy ships and other vessels and taken to safety. The eruption has affected an area with 30 km radius.People who refused to leave their homes were evacuated by force. Only a contingency force of about 50 police and navy personnel were left in the town. Buildings and streets in Chaitén town have been covered with a thick blanket of ash up to 30 cm deep. In Futaleufu, a town 70 kilometers south of Chaiten, its 1,800 inhabitants were either being evacuated or fleeing over the border to Argentina. Ash from Chaitén volcano is also reaching Argentina.
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