Footage monitored by the Canary Islands Volcanic Institute showed a large flow of lava flowing from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma, raising fears of its expansion and extension to new areas.
The Spanish authorities had issued orders to hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes, as ash dunes covered the streets of the island of the Canary Islands, after the volcano had been spewing lava for weeks, and the streets were filled with ash that disrupted life.
Uno de los equipos del @involcan pudo filmar ayer jueves esta imagen en la que podemos ver un verdadero "tsunami" de lava. Impresionante velocidad y desborde del canal lávico#RTVCconLaPalma https://t.co/w9U106jaxQ pic.twitter.com/TFJPgCDBS9
— RTVC (@RTVCes) October 15, 2021
With no sign of an end to the eruption of the volcano, now in its fourth week, authorities said they expect lava to flow to continue spreading in the northwest region of the volcano.
The red-hot lava damaged nearly 600 hectares of land and damaged about 1,500 homes and other buildings, including a cement factory that spewed toxic fumes, earlier in the week, and hundreds fled their homes.
The lava flow has also hit banana and avocado plantations that are vital to the island’s economy.