With no sign of eruption’s end, ash blankets La Palma island

By EMILIO MORENATTI and ARITZ PARRA
Associated Press

LOS LLANOS DE ARIDANE, Canary Islands (AP) — A volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma that has been erupting for six weeks has spewed more ash from its main mouth a day after producing its strongest earthquake to date. The Spanish Geographic Institute said the ash column towering above the volcano reached an altitude of 4.5 kilometers (15,000 feet) on Sunday before heavier wind scattered it. Nearby towns and a telescope base that sits on a mountain at 7,800 feet above sea level were covered in a thick layer of ash. The eruption has also turned the island into a tourist attraction as many Spaniards prepared to mark All Saints Day on Monday. La Palma is part of the Canary Islands.