Volcano erupts in southern Chile, scores evacuated

A volcano in southern Chile erupted, spewing lava, ash and smoke and forcing the evacuation of scores of people from the area, officials said.

Authorities declared an "early alert" in the area of the Llaima volcano, putting police, firefighters and other services on high readiness in case further evacuations were necessary, the government's Emergency Bureau said in a communique.

The bureau director, Carmen Fernandez, said 150 tourists and a group of employees of the National Forest Service were evacuated from the Conguillio National Park where the volcano is located, some 650 kilometers south of Santiago.

She said if necessary …