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Reuters

An ash cloud from the Calbuco volcano in southern Chile that erupted unexpectedly this week was blowing into Chile and Argentina, forcing the cancellation of flights from nearby cities in both countries and blanketing residents in ash.
The volcano, which last had a major eruption in 1961, has belched a spectacular plume of ash and smoke around 15km into the sky near the popular tourist town of Puerto Varas, some 1,000km south of Santiago.
Calbuco erupted twice since Wednesday and has now paused, but it remains unstable and could erupt again, experts said.
WATCH: Time-lapse video of the Calbuco volcano erupting

Winds have already carried part of the ash cloud to the city of Chillan, some 400km south of Santiago, and could reach the capital soon, said government meteorologist Arnoldo Zuniga.
Most of the ash, however, was headed over the Andes mountains into neighbouring Argentina, and weather experts said it could reach as far as Buenos Aires province, some 1,500km to the east.
“At the moment we don’t forecast the ashes will reach Buenos Aires city, depending on whether or not there is a third eruption,” said Ignacio Lopez, a meteorologist at Argentina’s national meteorology center.

Volcanic ash can damage aircraft and makes flying dangerous. In 2011, the eruption of Chile’s Puyehue volcano sent ash high into the atmosphere, leading to flight cancellations as far away as Australia.
“So far, the eruption has been slightly less serious (than in 2011) and the meteorological conditions have been good, meaning the ashes are remaining suspended in the air,” said Lopez.
International airlines that fly into Santiago said they were monitoring the situation but flights were unaffected.
In Argentina, Bariloche and Neuquen airports were shut, with Bariloche - which TV pictures showed covered in grey ash - due to be closed today too. Flights by LATAM Airlines’ local arm LAN Argentina and state-owned Aerolineas Argentinas were affected.
LAN Chile had cancelled over 20 domestic flights since the eruption but said on Thursday afternoon that owing to an improvement in conditions as the ash dissipated, it was resuming a normal schedule.
Nearly 4,500 people have been evacuated from the immediate area, authorities said, with the emergency services focusing on the small town of Ensenada, some 15 kilometers from the volcano.
No one has been reported killed.



Huge ash cloud from Chile volcano blankets region and forces flight cancellations

A car is covered in ash at Ensenada in Chile, on the outskirts of the Calbuco volcano, on Thursday. Photo: EPA

An image provided by Chile's National Service of Geology and Mining shows an enormous plume of ash and smoke rising from the Calbuco volcano after its eruption on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

Chile issues alert after volcano erupts for first time in 54 years

A high column of ash and lava spews from the Calbuco volcano in Chile on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

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