Santiago: The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile has erupted for the first time after a long duration of four decades.
There were overcharges of smoke and ash up to several kilometers height.
Emergency services were declared a red alert by evacuating about 1,500 people living in the circumference having a radius of 20 km (12 mile) from the volcano.
Puerto Montt, one of the nearby cities is reported to have been covered in the cloud of smoke and ash.
City Mayor Gervoy Paredes said that the residents of the locality were frightened severely.
The city of Bariloche in the neighboring Argentina was also under emergency measures as the place is about 100 km away from Calbuco.
Authorities are expecting ash clouds in this city also and hence, the residents are warned to stay indoors.
According to authorities, no hot rocks or lava had been seen so far except the overcharge of ash.
However, experts have warned floods in local rivers by the melting of snow and ice.
Alejandro Verges, a local emergency director, told the Associated Press that the earlier eruption of the volcano Calbuco was in 1972 and its current blast was really a surprise.
There were reports of traffic jams in Puerto Montt where long queues were observed at petrol stations.
Another nearby town Puerto Varas was also under emergency alert.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo called on the people of the affected area and advised them to remain calm. The police were authorized to evacuate people if needed.
Chile is the second nation in the world having the largest chain of volcanoes after Indonesia.
The country houses about 500 volcanoes while all of them are potentially active.
It is the second volcanic eruption in southern Chile within time frame of two months.
In March, the volcano called Villarica had erupted in the early hours of the morning, throwing out ash and lava.

Video on the volcanic eruption in Chile