City News

La Palma volcanic eruption destroys more than 150 homes

MADRID, September 23. More than 150 houses have already been destroyed from lava flows emanating from a volcanic eruption on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma (the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands), Mariano Zapata, president of the island council reported on Tuesday.

“More than 150 houses have been wiped out,” he told Cadena Ser radio. According to Zapata, the authorities do not plan to evacuate any more of Palma’s residents. Four more small earthquakes have been reported on La Palma on Tuesday night. Residents of the municipality of El Paso have been recently evacuated due to the new flow of lava. As a result, the total number of people displaced by the volcanic eruption reached about 6,000.

The lava flow now covers more than 100 hectares, the Spanish news agency EFE reports.

A volcano erupted in the municipality of El Paso, on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma, on September 19. The volcano is spewing volcanic materials. No fatalities have been reported so far. The authorities are currently waiting for the lava flows to reach Palm Coast. Lava and salt water contact can cause explosions and the emission of harmful gases.

The last volcanic eruption on La Palma was registered in 1971.

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