Chile’s Lascar volcano stirs, sending plume of smoke into the sky and triggering minor tremors
- The volcano sent ‘an eruptive column’ of volcanic ash and hot gases 6,000 metres above its crater, Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service said
- Authorities alerted the nearest town, Talabre, 30km (19 miles) from the volcano, in case evacuations were required
A volcano in the Andes in Chile’s north rumbled to life early on Saturday, triggering minor earth tremors and sending a plume of smoke and ash 6,000 metres (nearly 20,000ft) into a clear sky.
Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service reported that at 12.36am local time the Lascar Volcano stirred.
The volcano sent “an eruptive column” comprising volcanic ash and hot gases 6,000 metres above its crater, the service said.
Authorities alerted the nearest town, Talabre, 30km (19 miles) from the volcano, in case evacuations were required. But no property damage was reported, and the service maintained a green level, the lowest level of alert.
Lascar, with an elevation of 5,592 metres (18,346 feet) above sea level, is 70km (44 miles) from San Pedro de Atacama, a popular tourist centre that draws visitors for trekking, amateur astronomy and visits to the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth.