Querapi, Peru
The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency over the weekend after a string of small towns was blanketed in ash from the Ubinas volcano. The volcano had been dormant for 40 years before it started spewing ash, smoke, and toxic gas several weeks ago, killing livestock and polluting many water sources. The military was sent in to evacuate the poor after dozens of families refused to abandon their animals and fields. Others sold their cows for as little as $30 a head so they could afford the six-hour bus ride to Arequipa, the nearest big city.
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