A volcano on the border between Chile and Argentina is on the verge of a major eruption according to Chile’s Geological and Mining Service.  They have issued a red alert, the highest level warning in their volcano warning system.

The volcano is in a remote location of the country and there is very little residential population surrounding it.  Most of the residents who could be impacted by a full eruption live in Argentina.

Scentists say the highest danger will likely be from mudslides within 10 miles of the volcano.

A mandatory evacuation has not yet been issued for the area but officials are meeting to put plans in place to remove residents should the situation become critical.

The volcano began mildly erupting on Saturday sending a plume of smoke and ash into the sky and has increased in intensity over the last 24 hours.  The volcano’s last eruption in 2000 caused significant damage and mudslides requiring entire towns to be evacuated.