As residents of St Vincent and the Grenadines continue to suffer after the explosive eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano there, many might be wondering exactly what happens at the centre of volcanic activity.

St Vincentians can however count their blessings that, despite the falling ash from the sky, they have yet to face the even more destructive lava flows that historically characterise volcanic catastrophes.

Over in France’s overseas territory of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean, filmmaker Jonathan Payet was on April 21 able to use his drone to capture lava splashes of the erupting volcano Piton de la Fournaise.

“An extreme dive into the heart of a volcano! When my drone encountered the molten lava, I had no choice but to force its way through the wall of magma at more than 1,000 degrees Celsius,” Payet explained on Instagram.

The active volcano frequently attracts hikers and tourists. But only a day after this video was filmed, two students died in a suspected lightning strike after hiking up the volcano. Police have since warned hikers to stay away from the site.