Chaiten, Chile

The town of Chaiten situated in Chile also emptied, literally, overnight. The reason for this was a mighty volcanic eruption that occurred in 2008. Fortunately, in this case it was managed to avoid the mass death of people. All the inhabitants of the town were evacuated safely, otherwise an imminent death would happen to them. The volcano was erupting for five months. As a result, literally entire territory of the city was buried under a layer of ash. Only 10 percents of houses survived.

Before the tragedy, Chaiten was a fairly major port city. It had a great strategic importance since its foundation. At the time of the tragedy, the population was about 10 000 people. All of them left their homes hoping that they will soon be able to return. However, no recovery can happen with the city. Moreover, it is very dangerous to stay there, because a new eruption could occur at any moment. However, to the delight of thousands of residents, Chilean authorities decided to build the city of Chaiten again, but in a new, more secure location.

It’s unlikely for curious tourists to stroll along the once bustling Chilean town today, as almost all of its territory is sealed in a thick layer of lava. In addition, the river bed of the Rio Blanca has changed as a result of the eruption. Now, it runs straight through the city streets. Only some areas are accessible in Chaiten, where it’s possible to walk only in a respiratory mask. Even many years after the eruption, the gray volcanic ash lingers in the air. To the beginning - Fengdu Xian