Llaima ski area in Chile’s Conguillio National Park was evacuated last week as the Llaima Volcano on which the ski area is located spewed out lava flows up to two kilometres long above the ski runs and lifts.

The 3,125 metre high volcano is 78km (49 miles) from regional capital Temuco and 700km (435 miles) south of Chile’s capital Santiago. The area’s two drag lifts serve five ski runs between 1500m and 1800m above sea level.

The current eruption began on New Year's Day and the last few people still staying in the area were evacuated to outside a 15km exclusion zone last week.

The biggest fear in that the heat of the lava will melt snow causing land slides and flash floods below.