Earthquake after volcano erupts

AP

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SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – Chilean authorities evacuated hundreds of people from remote villages in southern Chile on Friday after a snowcapped volcano erupted, sending minor earthquakes ripplingthrough the region.

Smoke and ash rise from the Chaiten volcano in Chaiten, Chile,     sending minor earth through the region. Photo: AP

The Chaiten volcano belched fire and ash on Thursday night, causing more than 60 small tremors in the Los Lagos region, 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) south of the capital, Santiago, the federal Emergency Bureau said.

Mild seismic activity could continue for up to several days, warned Emergency Bureau Director Carmen Fernandez, who flew to the area on Friday.

The government declared a state of emergency, evacuating as many as 1,500 people from nearby villages and the town of Chaiten, just 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from the volcano, the bureau said.

Volcanic ash continued to rain down on homes and local water supplies, prompting officials to distribute fresh water and more than 10,000 protective masks, Fernandez and Interior Minister Edmundo Perez said.

Military, police, doctors and seismologists traveled to the region by sea to avoid the area’s remote mountain roads, LosLagos Gov. Sergio Galilea said.

Winds also carried ash over the Andes mountains to neighboring Argentina, where the Education Ministry suspended classes in several towns, including Esquel and Trevelin – two popular Patagonian tourist destinations.

Authorities there declared a state of alert on two major highways as falling ash reduced visibility, and hospitals reported an increased number of patients with eye irritation.