La Ensenada Chile AFP - Residents whose homes were buried under mounds of stinking volcanic ash in southern Chile began the painstaking clean-up Sunday, under the threat of more eruptions from the volatile Calbuco volcano. The specter of heavy rain only added to the anxiety of thousands of people whose lives were turned upside down when Calbuco burst into life twice in as many days last week, having been dormant for more than 50 years.
More than 6, people living nearby were told to evacuate after Calbuco erupted on Wednesday and Thursday, belching out a massive column of ash and lava, and triggering a spectacular showcase of Mother Nature's formidable powers. The ash cloud drifted eastwards over Argentina, sparking travel misery for some flying in and out of several major cities or resorts in the region.
A column of ash was still traveling northeastward Sunday over Argentina, but it was smaller than in previous days and there was little disruption to air travel. Back at the foot of the volcano giant, in the small tourist town of La Ensenada, its 1, inhabitants begin to see light as they embarked on the big clean-up, aided by army personnel who were rushed to the area when a state of emergency was declared.
We hope that in two months, Ensenada will be back to normal. But it will depend on whether the volcano leaves us alone," restaurant worker Pedro Gonzalez told AFP. People in the picturesque town -- who wore masks to avoid inhaling the ash -- are still not allowed back permanently into their homes because it is inside the exclusion zone. The Chilean government says it will provide the money to rebuild nearby areas that were swallowed up by ash, turning the usually stunning landscape boasting towering volcanoes and lakes into a haunting fog of gray.
The potential for rain in the coming days threatened to turn streets into treacherous rivers of mud. As well as thousands of people from inside a kilometer mile radius around Calbuco, some 4, sheep were also to be evacuated. Farmers said they feared for their livelihoods. They are due to receive help to cover their huge losses, in a region that relies heavily on its agriculture and tourism industries for income.
