6. Chaitén, Chilé
Chaitén was a Chilean town that also served as the former capital of the Palena Province. In May 2008, all 3, 347 inhabitants of the town had to abandon the area as the nearby Chaitén volcano erupted for the first time in over 9, 000 years.
The ensuing plume of ash rose to over 30 km high, with the resulting ash blowing across to Argentina and farther into the Atlantic Ocean. Following the eruption, a flow of debris, known as a lahar, ran through the town. These muddy “streams” flow very fast, run deep and destroy anything in their path. In this case, it caused the banks of the local river to overflow by 2 meters on either side. The extra volume caused the course of the entire river to change, forcing it through the town and destroying the buildings in its path.
Till date, a large portion of the town is still buried by ash from the eruption. The government is attempting to rebuild the town, but for now, it remains an eerie “white” ghost town.
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