Chaiten, Chile - A thick cloud of ash from the erupting Chaiten volcano in southern Chile spread across a swath of South America on Wednesday, prompting fears of health crisis for the people caught in its wake.
The enormous slow-moving plume spread thinly over Argentina's ski resort of Bariloche, 230 kilometres north-east of the volcano, and ash particles were detected as far away as Mar del Plata, 1 600 kilometres to the east.
Authorities are fearful that the airborne ash particles might reach Buenos Aires and its surroundings, raising health concerns for some eight million people.
Thousands of Chileans have already fled their homes after the volcano, located 1 300 kilometres south of Santiago near Chile's border with Argentina, erupted violently on Tuesday, spewing ash and lava over its surroundings.
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"Everything depends on which way the wind blows in the next few hours," said a spokesperson for Argentina's meteorological service.
He said forecasters were fairly certain that the skies of more Argentine towns would be darkened by the volcano's after-effects, adding: "We don't see any prospect of a change in the weather."
Chile's National Emergency Office said the area around a 30-kilometre radius of the volcano had been completely evacuated.
The 4 000 residents of Chaiten, the town nearest to the volcano whose streets were covered by a thick layer of ash, were evacuated on Tuesday. Only a handful of emergency personnel and news reporters remained.
Many of the town's businesses relocated to the city of Puerto Montt, some 200 kilometres to the south, and residents also took shelter there.
"I didn't want to leave, but there was too much noise, and ash fell all day long," said Rosa Mayorga, 62.
Another 1 000 people were forced to relocate from the town of Futaleufu, while officials in neighbouring areas distributed face masks and drinking water.
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