A house is covered by ash from a volcano that continues to erupt on La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands on Oct. 30, 2021.Emilio Morenatti/AP Images
- La Palma, an island of 85,000 people, has endured ten straight weeks of volcanic eruptions.
- The ash, lava, and debris from the Cumbre Vieja volcano have engulfed entire towns and neighborhoods.
The resort island of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands off the northwestern coast of Africa, has been battered by volcanic eruptions for more than two months.
The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted for the first time in 50 years on September 19, laying waste to the Cabeza de Vaca area and prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents. Authorities in La Palma, home to 85,000 people and a popular destination for European tourists, say the volcano has been active ever since.
Cumbre Vieja is now notorious for its erratic activity, besetting the island with toxic gas, new lava fissures, and plumes of ash that have repeatedly put its airport out of commission. Residents are exhausted by the months-long emergency, and some are leaving the island as jobs dwindle and hazards abound.
On Monday, new volcanic vents opened up and started spewing out more lava flows, per the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, squashing hopes of an end to La Palma's nightmare.
Here are 12 photos that show the aftermath of Cumbre Vieja's destruction in La Palma, taken by Emilio Morenatti for the Associated Press.