SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- Police and soldiers are forcefully removing some 130 people who have refused to leave the area around the erupting Chaiten volcano in southern Chile.

The Chaiten volcano in southern Chile remains active, producing a thick cloud of smoke and ashes.
The operation under way Thursday has been authorized by a court at the request of the government.
Defense Minister Jose Goni said the evacuation is necessary because the volcano remains active for the seventh straight day.
He said the volcano had erupted again around midnight Wednesday, spewing out a lot of incandescent rocks.
The Chilean government ordered people living up to 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the volcano to leave.
More than 7,000 people already have left.
The government said it will spend whatever is needed to help the residents.
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