Volcano eruption forces thousands to evacuate from town in Chile

One of the most active volcanoes in Chile erupted early Tuesday, causing thousands to flee from the city of Pucon.

The Villarrica volcano rises above Pucon, 400 miles south of Santiago. At about 3 a.m., lava started to flow and heavy smoke filled the air, and authorities became worried that mudslides would be caused by melting snow. "It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen," Australian tourist Travis Armstrong 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."

As the volcano activity died down, some residents and tourists returned to Pucon, and by the middle of the day stores were open and public transportation was up and running. No injuries were reported. —Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.