After brief respite, hot Chile volcano sends plume into the sky

After a short period of rest, the Villarrica volcano in southern Chile recently exploded to life again, sending a plume of boiling ash high into the atmosphere. The eruption triggered an increase in the alert level near the volcano to orange, the second highest rating. The 2860-metre-high snow-capped stratovolcano, located 750 kilometers south of the capital Santiago, is one of the most active in Chile. The latest series of eruptions began on 7 February with several minor explosions and ash plumes triggering a yellow alert. A further pre-dawn eruption on 3 March sparked the evacuation of thousands of people from within a 10-kilometre radius of the volcano. FULL REPORT