President Bachelet visits Llaima volcano eruption zone

TEMUCO.-  President Michelle Bachelet is currently on her way to visit the city of Melipeuco, located 17 kilometers from the Llaima volcano, in order to perform an on-site evaluation of the measures and evacuation plans being adopted by the local emergency committee amid the irregular bursts of eruptive activity being observed at the mountain  in the Araucanía Region.

The President is accompanied by the Minister of Defense, José Goñi, and hopes to perform a helicopter flyover of the volcano if weather conditions allow, although the peak is currently being obstructed by cloud cover and heavy rain.

Later, the President will travel to the town of Cherquenco to visit five people that have taken shelter inside the Escuela Municipal Japón and will end her visit after meeting with the mayors of the four municipalities – Vilcún, Melipeuco, Cunco and Curacautín-  where the eruption has prompted a yellow alert to be declared

The volcanic eruption began in May of last year and registered its most intense episodes in January and June of this year, when there was a danger of lahars.