Flights cancelled and schools shut after latest volcanic eruption on La Palma

Emergency crews watch the La Palma eruptions from a safe distance (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma are telling people who live near an erupting volcano to stay indoors because of a heavy fall of ash that has forced the cancellation of flights and school classes.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma, which is part of Spain’s Canary Islands off northwest Africa, has been spewing lava, ash and gases for more than six weeks. The eruption has alternately surged and ebbed since September 19.