Volcanic ash grounds flights in Argentina

Xinhua, June 8, 2011

Ash produced by eruption of the Chilean Puyehue volcano have caused the cancellation of many flights in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.

Ash clouds were spreading over the city.

The Buenos Aires metropolitan airport halted its operation, while airline companies Aerolineas Argentinas, Austral and LAN Argentina have canceled all its flights "until further notice" for safety reasons.

LAN Argentina told Xinhua its 14 flights were canceled Tuesday morning.

The Puyehue volcano, about 2,240 meters high, is located in the Andes mountains in southern Chile. Its last major eruption was in 1960, following a 9.5-magnitude earthquake.

The latest eruption took place on Saturday, and volcanic ash has drifted to the southern provinces of Argentina and moved further in the central party of the country.