SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – The Chaiten volcano spewed lava and blasted ash 12 miles (20 kilometers) into the sky on Tuesday, prompting officials to order a total evacuation of nearby area.

More than 4,000 people had already fled and Palena province Gov. Fernando Aguilar ordered 280 more to leave immediately.

The volcano’s five-day eruption already has sent a column of ash streaming across the narrow southern stretch of the continent and over the Atlantic.

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