Volcanic ash blankets La Palma after eruption

Almost six weeks after a volcano erupted on the Spanish island of La Palma, vast amounts of ash and lava continue to cover buildings and farmland. Workers from Spain’s military emergency unit (UME) could be seen working in the exclusion area on Friday, taking pictures with a drone. Officers also filmed some signs of life with animals trying to survive the apocalyptic conditions in the area nearest to the volcano. Aerials showed the large lava flow advancing. Flows of molten rock from the Cumbre Vieja volcano itself have caused the evacuations of about 7,500 people and destroyed more than 2,100 buildings, mostly homes. The rivers of lava cover over 900 hectares (2,200 acres) of mostly farmland. No deaths have resulted from the eruption. Other than in an area on the island’s western side, life continues as normal for La Palma’s 85,000 residents except for having to clean up volcanic ash.