Chile volcano: Alert issued after Lascar rumbles to life- PublishedChilean officials have put a safety warning in place after a volcano sent an eruptive column 6,000m (almost 20,000ft) into the sky.Chile's National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin) defines "yellow" as meaning a volcano is unstable.Residents of Talabre, Antofagasta, a small town less than 12km (7 miles) from the volcano, first noticed some activity at around midday.Despite the giant cloud of smoke that Lascar emitted - comprising volcanic ash and hot gases - no homes are thought to have been damaged.Lascar, in the north of the country, is 70km from San Pedro de Atacama, a popular tourist destination for trekking and visits to the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth."