By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline. A volcano in Chile that has laid dormant for more than 40 years has suddenly erupted, causing a thick plume of ash to cloud the sky while thousands of people living in its shadow were forced to flee. Volcano Calbuco, in the country's south, is believed to be among the three most dangerous of Chile's 90 active volcanoes, but was not under any special observation before it suddenly sprung into life at around 6pm local time.
An estimated 1, people were forced to flee the nearby town of Ensenada after the eruption, while several smaller townships were also cleared. Scroll down for video. Boom: The eruption sent a huge plume of gas and ash soaring into the atmosphere which was visible from up to miles away pictured, the scene in Puerto Varas, around 25 miles away.
Unexpected: The volcano last erupted in , and while it is widely believed to be among Chile's most dangerous, it was not under observation before it erupted today the eruption pictured from Puerto Varas. Active: Volcano Calbunco is regarded as being among Chile's three most dangerous volcanoes, and is part of an active chain of around that cover the south of the country.
Smoke and lava can be seen spewing from the Calbuco volcano in this picture taken from the shores of Lake Llanquihue in Puerto Varas. An electrical storm lights up the night sky as a huge column of ash and lava shoots out of the volcano.
The eruption sparked a red alert in the port city of Puerto Montt. The National Mining and Geology Service issued a high alert, setting up an exclusion zone of Trevor Moffat, who lives in Ensenada, some six miles from the volcano, said the eruption happened without warning. Volcano Calbuco's last major eruption happened in , with a weak eruption following in The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile erupted for the first time in more than five decades on Wednesday, sending a thick plume of ash and smoke several kilometres into the sky.
