The moment a hiker gets the shock of his life when the volcano he is filming erupts before his eyes

  • A man identified as Walter Witt on YouTube was casually filming a serene forest a short distance away from the foot of the Calbuco volcano
  • 'Beautiful, the volcano there...'he says just before the volcano begins to blow
  • Volcano Calbuco had erupted for the first time at 6pm local time on Wednesday and has been dormant since 1972 

A hiker exploring Chile's natural wonders got the shock of his life on Wednesday afternoon when a volcano erupted before his eyes.

A man identified as Walter Witt on YouTube was casually filming a serene forest with gentle waterfalls a short distance away from the foot of the 6,500-foot-high Calbuco volcano.

Since being posted online the video has over 72,000 views.

'There aren't many people here,' the hiker says in Spanish in the video.

'Beautiful, the volcano there...'he says just before the volcano begins to blow.

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Nothing to see here: This hiker's surroundings are serene up until the moment a volcano erupts before his eyes and he runs for the hills 

Nothing to see here: This hiker's surroundings are serene up until the moment a volcano erupts before his eyes and he runs for the hills 

'Wow,' he then says with shock as he pics up his camera and travels as far away from the erupting volcano as he possibly can.

The Volcano has been dormant since 1972 and neither scientists nor government officials predicted the eruption, reports Mashable.

Volcano Calbuco, believed to be among the three most dangerous of Chile's 90 active volcanoes, had erupted for the first time at 6pm local time on Wednesday.

An estimated 1,500 people were forced to flee the nearby town of Ensenada after the eruption, while several smaller townships were also cleared.

Locals described an apocalyptic scene as ash clouds were shot six miles into the air creating an incredible display of lightning and lava against the night's sky.

Another unexpected eruption in the Los Lagos Region  heightened fears of local waters becoming contaminated, residents developing severe breathing problems and more flights being grounded.

'Beautiful volcano': The hikers speaks about the volcano's natural beauty just seconds before it erupts  

'Beautiful volcano': The hikers speaks about the volcano's natural beauty just seconds before it erupts  

The ash covered cars and houses in cities as far as 18 miles away from the source of the eruption as another massive evacuation effort gets underway.

Previous and equally violent eruptions at Calbuco have continued for up to a week, according to a volcanologist from Oxford University who told Dailymail.com it is impossible to predict what will happen next.

The volcano is located near the tourist town of Puerto Varas and the city of Puerto Montt, a little more than 620 miles south of Chile's capital, Santiago.

The National Mining and Geology Service issued a high alert, setting up an exclusion zone of 12.5miles around the volcano, barring access to the area.

Trevor Moffat, who lives in Ensenada, some six miles from the volcano, said the eruption happened without warning. Volcano Calbuco's last major eruption happened in 1961, with a weak eruption following in 1972.

He said: 'It sounded like a big tractor trailer passing by the road, rattling and shaking, guttural rumbling ... we left everything there, grabbed my kid, my dog, got in the car with my wife.

Mr Moffat, who was originally born in Canada, said he was now driving his family to Puerto Varas. He added: 'All the neighbors were outside, a lot of young people crying. Armageddon type reaction.'

'Wow': The hiker expresses his amazement at the volcanic eruption before quickly traveling to safe territory 

'Wow': The hiker expresses his amazement at the volcanic eruption before quickly traveling to safe territory 

Up in smoke: Volcano Calbuco, in southern Chile, erupted forcing 1,500 residents from Ensenada, about 10 miles away,  to flee their homes

Up in smoke: Volcano Calbuco, in southern Chile, erupted forcing 1,500 residents from Ensenada, about 10 miles away, to flee their homes

 

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