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The Cumbre Vieja volcano situated in the Cumbre Vieja National Park at El Paso, is in the south of the island and last erupted 50 years ago, in 1971.
Small earthquakes began around ten days ago and as they started to get closer to the surface locals started preparing for evacuation. When a 3.8 quake struck on the morning of 19 September the authorities started evacuating disabled people, pets and livestock.
At 1415 GMT on Sunday 19 September, the volcano exploded. The closest settlement in El Paraiso was evacuated immediately. A further 5000 people have now been evacuated.
- Lava erupting from the volcano on La Palma (c) Reuters
The head of the Canary Islands government, Angel Victor Torres, said the zone was forested and ‘sparsely populated’. The government has asked people to be extremely careful and to stay away from the eruption zone to avoid needless risk.
News agency Reuters reported video footage showed fountains of lava shooting hundreds of metres into the sky and at least three incandescent orange rivers of molten rock pouring down the hill, tearing gashes into woods and farmland and spreading as they reached lower ground.
Locals report that a fissure has opened on the western flank of La Cumbre Vieja, feeding lava fountains and flows into surrounding communities, forests, and farmlands. Lava flows in the SW of the island are slowly tracking towards the sea.
At this time, a collapse of La Palma or the volcano there seems unlikely. Historical volcanic activity in the area suggests the eruption could last several weeks, perhaps even months. The submarine eruption of Tagoro, off the island of El Hierro, lasted five months. But it is still too early to know how this latest eruption will develop.
Pedro Gonzalez from the Marina La Palma told Noonsite that the marina was safe and operating without any problems as the volcanic eruption was taking place on the other side of the island from them.
Ash clouds affected visibility at La Palma Airport located 7 km (4 miles) south of Santa Cruz de La Palma, forcing a temporary closure through the evening on Sunday; operations have since resumed. Further flight disruptions are possible if winds direct ash clouds in the general direction of the airport.
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Related News
- Volcano Erupts in Canary Islands – Spain in English
- Lava pours out of Volcano on La Palma, Canary Islands – Reuters
- Spanish Canary Island Volcano Erupts – The Guardian
- Volcanic eruption in La Palma: Why did it happen and how … – El Pais
- The Tsunami Risk – La Palma Island
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Noonsite has not independently verified this information.
