Canary Islands: Volcano erupts on La Palma, lava threatens

 

The volcano is spewing red-hot lava and ash into the sky, triggering the evacuation of some residents on the island of La Palma. The eruption was preceded by more than 22,000 seismic shocks.

volcano erupted Sunday on one of Spain’s Canary Islands, after a week of heightened seismic activity.

The volcano is located on La Palma, the fifth-largest island in the Spanish archipelago that sits in the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Morocco.

Canary Islands regional President Angel Victor Torres told Spanish state broadcaster TVE that no injuries had been reported so far.

Flights to and from the Canaries — which are popular with European tourists — were continuing as normal, airport operator Aena said.

Evacuation operation underway

Emergency services immediately began to evacuate residents, authorities said, having started moving those with reduced mobility earlier in the day.

“People are asked to be extremely careful and to stay away from the eruption zone to avoid needless risk,” the government added.

Sunday’s eruption follows a series of earth tremors this week, measured at 3.8-magnitude, whose vibrations were felt on the surface.

More than 22,000 tremors were recorded in the area — one of the most active volcanoes in the Canary Islands.