On Wednesday, two eruptions spewed forth from Chile’s Calbuco volcano, a stratovolcano southeast of Llanquihue Lake in the Los Lagos Region that hadn't erupted since 1972. The next day, another eruption rained heavy ash in the volcano’s vicinity, and Argentina’s meteorological service claimed the ash cloud may have shot as high as 40,000 feet. The explosion lasted 90 minutes and a flow of lava into Chapo Lake was reported on the same day.

Now, the town of Ensenada, located at the base of the volcano, is a ghost town buried in ash. Most of its 1,500 residents have abandoned the village, leaving only 30 people – and a few animals – behind.

No injuries have been reported, but many worry that the volcano’s ash could contaminate water, trigger respiratory illnesses or prevent flights.

The cloud of ash was so thick that a large, gray mass hovering around the volcano could be seen from outer space on Friday. NASA posted a picture of the phenomenon on Twitter.

The Calbuco volcano has had at least 10 eruptions since 1837; some of the largest in southern Chile took place in 1893-1894.

Check out photos of this week's eruption and the aftermath below:

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The Calbuco volcano eruption left surrounding areas covered in a thick layer of ash. Getty Images
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A helicopter hovers near the volcanic ash cloud. Getty Images
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A man hands out masks to local citizens. Getty Images
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The eruptions on Wednesday lasted about 90 minutes. Getty Images
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A policeman walks amid the debris. Getty Images
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A man wears a mask to protect himself from breathing harmful debris. Getty Images
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Volcanic lightning and lava pour from the Chile volcano. Getty Images
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More lava and volcanic lightning spew forth from Calbuco. Getty Images
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A man wears a mask to protect himself from volcanic ash. Getty Images
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A cloud of ash can be seen above homes near the volcano. Getty Images