Government Eyes Are on Chile's Villarrica Volcano Eruption

Chilean authorities addressed the Villarrica Volcano eruption, located 470 miles south of the capital Santiago, appearing to calm following the joint and coordinated efforts and preventive measures happening in the region.

President of the Republic Michelle Bachelet, flew over the region and commented that because Villarrica Volcano is one of the most active volcanos in Chile, "its activity is being permanently and rigorously monitored through 22 surveillance systems."

The maximum authority of the country shared that the monitoring will continue to allow preventive actions in the region.

BBC.com reported that the Villarrica volcano in southern Chile erupted in the early hours of Tuesday morning, spewing ash and lava up to 3,300 feet into the air. More than 3,000 people have been evacuated from the volcano's vicinity, according to that report. 

To further safety, the government has restricted the circulation within a 6 mile radius of the crater. Tourist attractions affected by the volcanic activity in the Araucania region include the Villarrica National Park's its ski center, the Challupen-Chinay Trail, the volcanic caves, the Rio Turbio Trail and the Ruca Pillan Fair.

In the Los Rios region, precautionary measures will temporarily limit access to the Vergara, Geometric and Rincon hot springs, all located on the foothills of the volcano. 

Javiera Montes, the sub secretary of tourism, took this opportunity to request national and international tourists to follow the instructions outlined by Chile's local authorities and to be kept informed through the webpage www.onemi.cl and through Twitter @onemichile.

According to the information given by the aeronautic institution, the air connectivity of the La Araucania Airport in the Araucania Region and the Pichoy airport located in the Los Rios region is functioning normally. Likewise, all border crossings are functioning.

Visit www.chile.travel and keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more updates on this story.