Chile begins volcano clean-up under eruption threat

People clean the ash from the Calbuco volcano around their home at La Ensenada, southern Chile. (AFP/VLADIMIR RODAS)

LA ENSENADA, Chile: Residents whose homes were buried under mounds of stinking volcanic ash in southern Chile began the painstaking clean-up on Sunday (Apr 26), under the threat of more eruptions from the volatile Calbuco volcano.

The spectre of heavy rain only added to the anxiety of thousands of people whose lives were turned upside down when Calbuco burst into life twice in as many days last week, having been dormant for more than 50 years.

More than 6,500 people living nearby were told to evacuate after Calbuco erupted on Wednesday and Thursday, belching out a massive column of ash and lava, and triggering a spectacular showcase of Mother Nature's formidable powers.

The ash cloud drifted eastwards over Argentina, sparking travel misery for some flying in and out of several major cities or resorts in the region. A column of ash was still travelling northeastward on Sunday over Argentina, but it was smaller than in previous days and there was little disruption to air travel.

Back at the foot of the volcano giant, in the small tourist town of La Ensenada, its 1,500 inhabitants begin to see light as they embarked on the big clean-up, aided by army personnel who were rushed to the area when a state of emergency was declared.

"Now we just have to think about the future. We hope that in two months, Ensenada will be back to normal. But it will depend on whether the volcano leaves us alone," restaurant worker Pedro Gonzalez told AFP.

Sandra Ramirez, a resident of La Ensenada, told AFP: "Everything helps, the arrival of the military will allow us to get back on our feet as soon as possible."

People in the picturesque town - who wore masks to avoid inhaling the ash - are still not allowed back permanently into their homes because it is inside the exclusion zone.

The Chilean government says it will provide the money to rebuild nearby areas that were swallowed up by ash, turning the usually stunning landscape boasting towering volcanoes and lakes into a haunting fog of gray.

The potential for rain in the coming days threatened to turn streets into treacherous rivers of mud.

MORE MISERY TO COME?

As well as thousands of people from inside a 20-kilometre radius around Calbuco, some 4,000 sheep were also to be evacuated. Farmers said they feared for their livelihoods. They are due to receive help to cover their huge losses, in a region that relies heavily on its agriculture and tourism industries for income.

Calbuco's fury was considered the fifth largest volcanic ash emission on record globally, experts say. However, she may not be done just yet.

The national emergency office ONEMI maintained the 20-kilometre exclusion zone overs fears of another imminent eruption and scientists have kept a "red alert" in place.

The 2,000-metre volcano last erupted in 1961 and showed light activity in 1972, according to official data. There have been no known fatalities from this week's eruptions.

It is the second volcano to erupt in Chile since Mar 3, when the Villarrica volcano emitted a brief but fiery burst of ash and lava. Chile has about 90 active volcanoes.