The renowned church of San Juan Parangaricutiro was surrounded by lava flows from Parícutin in July 1944. Only one of the two church steeples had been completed prior to the eruption. The interior of the church was dismantled only days before it was overrun by the lava flow. The west margin of the 1944 lava flow appears at the top, with faintly visible abandoned streets of the town beyond.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1981 (published in Luhr and Simkin, 1993).

Copyrighted image used with permission. All Rights Reserved. Contact photographer for any usage requests.

Michoacán-Guanajuato