PUCON, CHILE – An early morning volcanic eruption has prompted Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to declare an agricultural emergency to help local farmers.
The Villarrica volcano erupted around 3 a.m. local time, according to the National Emergency Office, which issued a red alert and ordered evacuations.
According to the Associated Press, the 9,000-foot volcano in Chile’s central valley sits above the city of Pucon, which has a population of about 22,000 people.
Interior and Security Minister Rodrigo Penailillo told the AP that about 3,500 people have been evacuated so far. He warned that the eruption was causing rivers in the area to rise as snow along the sides of the volcano melted.
President Bachelet arrived in Pucon early today to check on safety preparations. It was there that she declared the agricultural emergency.
She said, “You never know when an eruption will take place, but what we do know is that the activity is lower, that’s visible.”
According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), volcanic ash can have serious effects on agriculture. The survival of crops is often severely limited when ash thickness if more than 4-6 inches.
The USGS goes on to say that predicting potential crop losses from ash fall is difficult and usually exaggerated because of the great variety of environmental and plant conditions.
The Villarrica has a crater about 200 meters in diameter and a lake of lava about 150 meters deep. According to the AP, it has periodic eruptions every 10 or 15 years.
Of the 90 active volcanoes in Chile, Villarrica is considered among the most dangerous.
