A woman stands inside the remains of a gym that collapsed under the weight of ash from the Calbuco volcano in Puerto Varas, some 1,000kms south of Santiago.

Reuters/Santiago


Chilean volcano Calbuco, which erupted without warning on Wednesday, is still puffing out ash and smoke, leading airlines to cancel flights from Argentine capital Buenos Aires, some 1,400kms east.
Calbuco, considered one of the most dangerous along Chile’s chain of around 500 active volcanoes, erupted twice in 24 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, sending up a spectacular 17km-high cloud and coating nearby towns in a thick layer of grey ash.
Authorities have set up a 20km cordon around Calbuco, which is located in the scenic Los Lagos region, around 1,000kms south of capital Santiago. Some houses and schools located close to the volcano had collapsed under the weight of the ash, local radio reported.
The ash also presents a threat to air traffic, as particles in the atmosphere can cause problems for planes.
With winds blowing the ash cloud north-east into neighbouring Argentina, Argentine air traffic was the worst affected yesterday.
Delta Air Lines, Air France and American Airlines suspended flights to the main international airport at Ezeiza, near capital city Buenos Aires.  “They were cancelled as a preventive measure, for fear that after landing they might not be able to take off later,” said a spokesman for Argentina’s National Civil Aeronautic Administration. “We do not discount the possibility that other airlines might take the same decision.”
In the southern Argentine tourist city of Bariloche, flights were cancelled for a second straight day, some roads were closed and children were kept home from school.
In Chile, the ash cloud had reached as far as port city Valparaiso, near Santiago. Delta and American Airlines cancelled flights to the capital, although Chilean flag-carrier LAN said on Thursday it has resumed domestic flights to the south.