Displaced residents to begin relocation to "New Chaitén" in December

SANTIAGO.- While stressing that the Chaitén volcano remains active, the Intendent of the Los Lagos Region, Sergio Galilea, assured that residents will be able to begin relocating to the new town of Chaitén in December of this year.

According to Radio ADN, Galilea stated that the basic services in the town, which will be located in the sector of Santa Bárbara, should be up and running by May 21st.

The speed at which projects are being completed is in line with the termination of a subsidy payment –scheduled to end in June— that the Government is issuing to residents displaced by the volcanic eruption.

Galilea has said that in July an additional subsidy will be issued “that corresponds to the losses or is more or less equivalent to the value of the belongings lost by the families”.

With regards to the current situation in Chaitén, one year after the eruption, Galilea contended that the town “runs the risk that a significant part of the mountain (the dome) could fall into the Rio Blanco and that would cause the river to directly flood Chaitén”.