The Villarrica volcano is located in southern Chile started spewing out lava and ash early Tuesday morning. The eruption started at 3 am local time (0600 GMT) and lava bombs rained down on the slopes during the peak of the eruption.

More than 3,000 people have been evacuated from small towns around Villarrica, including the town of the town of Pucon and Conaripe. The residents were cautioned about the situation and they left the area calmly.

Chile's president Michelle Bachelet confirmed that she will visit the area on Tuesday in order to personally assess the situation.

Villarrica volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Chile and is located 470 miles south of Santiago, Chile’s capital city, in the country’s Araucania region. The Villarrica volcano is located in southern Chile and the country's Ministry of Mining recorded the volcano's last major eruption on 1985.

According to Turismo Chile, the government tourism wing, the volcano’s activity is being permanently and rigorously monitored through 22 surveillance systems. Four webcams were pointed right into the slope of the Villarrica in order to constantly track its activity.

The Villarrica stands at 2,840 meters and has a crater full of lava and the government has restricted travel within a six-mile radius of the volcano’s crater as a safety measure.

The view attracts hundreds of hikers that climb the peak in order to peer into its crater. Additionally, four webcams were pointed right into the slope of the Villarrica in order to constantly track its activity.

But now the tourist attractions, which include the Villarrica National Park and its ski center, the Challupen-Chinay Trail, the region’s volcanic caves, the Rio Turbio Trail and the Ruca Pillan Fair will be affected by the volcanic activity.

Javiera Montes, Chile’s sub secretary of tourism has advised national and international tourists to follow instructions that are outlined by local authorities through the agency’s website and on the Twitter account @onemichile.