Chile on Alert as Active Volcano Rumbles, Spits Fire

Chile's snow-covered Villarrica volcano was subjected to earthquakes and is belching fire, which made authorities on alert for a possible eruption.

"While we cannot predict when the volcano will erupt, the conditions are right," according to daily assessments of activity at the site, Alvaro Amigo, head of the National Volcano Monitoring Network, told AFP.

The ice-clad volcano overlooks Puccon City, with a population of about 28,000 people who live 15 km (10 miles) from the peak.

Since October, the 2,847-meter (9,300-foot) Villarrica has been the site of gas explosions and seismic events, with pillars of fire up to 220 meters high shooting out of its lava lake.

The region's lakes and lush forests are a popular tourist attraction, and about 10,000 visitors climb Villarrica each summer, according to official figures.

"The thing about Villarrica is the danger because a lot of people live in areas that are very vulnerable" to potential damage from the volcano, said geophysicist Christian Farias.

He warned that the population had forgotten the dangers of "what Villarrica can do."

Amigo said the volcano is dangerous because its eruptions often cause dangerous flows of lava rock and mud "and because it has a large population and surrounding infrastructure".

The last major eruption of the Villarrica volcano was in 1984.

The National Geology and Mining Service issued a yellow alert in November in four towns close to the peak, meaning no one could get within 500 meters of the crater. The body also developed contingency evacuation plans and real-time monitoring of volcanic activity.

The yellow alert is the step before the orange alert, indicating an impending breakout.

Mining Minister Marcela Hernando mentioned that the idea was to reassure citizens that technology and experts are constantly monitoring Chile's 45 "most important volcanoes".