This is the moment a hiker films his farewells to his loved ones as a huge volcano suddenly spews out smoke and deadly gas.

The eruption of the Lascar stratovolcano in the Chilean Andes took the unidentified man and others by surprise, and forced them to flee for their lives as ash rained down around them.

The hiker filmed as a dense column of sand-coloured smoke billowed from the crater just yards away from him and the rest of the group.

Terrifyingly, he could be heard telling the camera: “The volcano has erupted, I am on the edge of the crater. Andres, brother… I love you very much.

“I have to go down as soon as possible… Mum, dad… everyone… I love you.”

He and the others with him could then be seen running down the slope of the volcano in a desperate bid to get to safety.

Though the individuals’ identities are unclear, authorities in San Pedro de Atacama thankfully revealed that the eruption on 10th December had not caused any injuries or damage to homes.

Authorities have since forbidden anyone from coming within five kilometres (three miles) of the crater.

Lascar is the most active volcano in the volcanic arc in which it lies. The last time it erupted prior to the latest eruption was on 30th October 2015.

The local alert level has been raised from green to yellow, meaning the volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background activity.