New volcanic ash cloud threatens flight disruptions (in South America)

The Puyehue volcano has been dormant for decades – and its latest eruption has forced 3,500 to evacuate their homes.

A CHAIN OF Chilean volcanoes which have been dormant for half a century have begun to erupt – spewing ash into the atmosphere and forcing around 3,500 people to evacuate their homes.

The volcanoes – all in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain, 600 miles south of Santiago - began to spew their combination of ash and sulphur on Saturday, with columns of smoke stretching high into the air.

Though the ash cloud has not caused any injuries, the ash cloud has been blown towards Argentina where a regional airport in Bariloche has been closed. Border crossings have also been closed, the BBC reported.

Chile has more volcanoes than any other country expect for Indonesia, with a quarter of its 2,000 volcanoes potentially active.

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