Volcano Villarrica erupts in Chile

Volcano Villarrica in southern Chile erupted in the early hours of yesterday, sending a plume of ash and lava high into the sky, and forcing the evacuation of nearby communities.

The volcano, located near the popular tourist resort of Pucon around 750km south of the capital Santiago, is one of South America’s most active. It last erupted in 2000.

A column of ash and rock particles shot up to 3km into the night sky at around 3am, said the national geological service Sernageomin.