Chile volcano destroys town

Chile volcano leaves Chaiten town destroyed and abandoned after a series of volcano eruptions.

This Chilean town, which lies at the foot of a volcano was once bustling.

4,500 people lived here in Chaiten but now it lies abandoned after a series of volcanic eruptions.

This ghost town is either engulfed by mounds of ash or flooded after the Blanco river burst its banks, destroying hundreds of buildings.

The Chaiten volcano is more than one thousand kilometers south of Santiago.

It erupted in early May for the first time in thousands of years, spewing ash, gas and molten rock and devastating everything in its path.

Experts say the volcano could continue to erupt at a less volatile pace for months or even years.

Reconstruction could take more than one year with at least one third of the town's homes destroyed.

Sarah Toms, Reuters.