President Bachelet makes her way to Futaleufú by land

FUTALEUFÚ.- Just before 10AM this morning, the President of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet, began her overland journey from Chaitén to the town of Futaleufú, where evacuations began yesterday due to the danger posed by the large amount of toxic ash that has accumulated in the area.

The President is traveling by truck, accompanied by the minister of Agriculture, Marigen Hornkohl, the regional governor, Sergio Galilea, and the director of Indap, Hernán Rojas.

“We are going with a group of scientists from the United States who took a first measurement yesterday in Chaitén and will take other measurements of the air and chemical conditions resulting from the ash in order to evaluate the probable risks that exist”, the President stated just before beginning her trip from Puerto Montt to Chaitén.

Despite the fact that Chaitén and Futaleufú are separated by a mere 156 kilometers, the President is expected to arrive in the town at approximately 1:00PM since the road is made of gravel and visibility has been drastically reduced.