Government warns that Chaiten residents must evacuate

SANTIAGO.- This morning the government acknowledged that the situation in Chaiten “is quite complex” relaying that the evacuation order must be complied with completely and that there is no room for opposition from the close to 250 people who remain in the area.

The government spokesperson, Francisco Vidal, also maintained that more than half of those who remained in Chaiten were uniformed officers and that the rest were civilians who had not wanted to abandon their homes.

Concerning the current condition of the town of Futaluefu, Vidal stated that the threat is “less serious” than in Chaiten since, up until now, the area has merely been coated with ash.

In Chaiten´s case however, the situation is much more complicated since it was reported at 8:00 AM this morning that the volcano had entered into a “more serious stage”, spewing lava, which continues to flow down the mountain’s surface.