BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
Officials in southwestern Argentina closed schools and suspended flights Thursday as the first ash fell from the Calbuco volcano that erupted across the Andes in Chile.
“We are taking all the necessary preventive measures,” Alberto Weretilneck, governor of the southwestern province of Rio Negro, said in a statement. “Schools were suspended throughout the city of Bariloche, pending how this situation evolves.”
Due to the closure of airports, Weretilneck said he would drive the 500 miles (830 kilometers) to San Carlos de Bariloche from the provincial capital of Viedma to oversee emergency measures there and in neighboring communities.
He said light winds were expected over the next few days, which could limit the amount of ash falling in Argentina’s southwest.
Calbuco, located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Bariloche, has erupted twice since Wednesday, prompting Chilean authorities to declare a state of emergency and the evacuation of 4,000 residents within a 20-mile (12-kilometer) radius of the volcano.
The eruptions have raised concerns of a repeat of the impact of another volcanic eruption in Chile in 2010 that caused huge amounts of ash to fall in southwestern Argentina. That led to a plunge in tourism in the mountainous region, a big attraction for its fishing, hiking, skiing and other outdoor activities.
Argentine Security Minister Maria Cecilia Rodriguez said shipments of facemasks, water and other basic goods were made to the affected region, while the National Guard was deployed to ensure public order and safety.
“The ash is finite for now but we have to keep evaluating the situation step by step,” she said in a statement.
Authorities in Bariloche and San Martin de los Andes asked residents to remain calm and stay indoors. in an attempt to keep fuel on hand for emergency and health vehicles.
Lines formed at supermarkets late Wednesday, however, as residents stocked food and water, the Agencia de Noticias Bariloche reported.
