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LOOK: Pictures Of The Villarrica Volcano's Eruption In Chile

A general view of the Chilean volcano Villarrica, erupting near the town of the same name, some 466 miles south of Santiago.
Ariel Marinkovic
/
EPA/Landov
A general view of the Chilean volcano Villarrica, erupting near the town of the same name, some 466 miles south of Santiago.

The eruption of the Villarrica volcano in southern Chile has prompted the evacuation of thousands of people, as it spewed heavy smoke into the air and lava down its slopes.

The 9,000-foot volcano hovers over the city of Pucon, home to about 22,000 people.

"It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen," Travis Armstrong, a 29-year-old Australian tourist, told The Associated Press. "I've never seen a volcano erupt and it was spewing lava and ash hundreds of meters into the air. Lightning was striking down at the volcano from the ash cloud that formed from the eruption."

Here's what that looks like.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Villarrica volcano erupts on Tuesday. More than 4,000 people have been evacuated as snow melt caused by the eruption has led to the risk of flooding
Ariel Marinkovic / EPA /Landov
/
EPA /Landov
Villarrica volcano erupts on Tuesday. More than 4,000 people have been evacuated as snow melt caused by the eruption has led to the risk of flooding
Ash and lava spew from the volcano, as seen from Pucon, Chile.
/ Reuters /Landov
/
Reuters /Landov
Ash and lava spew from the volcano, as seen from Pucon, Chile.
A view of the eruption.
Ariel Marinkovic / EPA /Landov
/
EPA /Landov
A view of the eruption.

Krishnadev Calamur is NPR's deputy Washington editor. In this role, he helps oversee planning of the Washington desk's news coverage. He also edits NPR's Supreme Court coverage. Previously, Calamur was an editor and staff writer at The Atlantic. This is his second stint at NPR, having previously worked on NPR's website from 2008-15. Calamur received an M.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri.