Thousands flee as volcano erupts on Spain’s La Palma island, homes destroyed
LA PALMA, SPAIN (REUTERS) - The Canary Islands’ first volcanic eruption in 50 years has forced the evacuation of about 5,000 people, including about 500 tourists, and destroyed about 100 houses, officials said on Monday (Sept 20)
The volcano erupted on Sunday, shooting lava hundreds of metres into the air, engulfing houses and forests and sending molten rock towards the Atlantic Ocean over a sparsely populated area of La Palma, the most north-western island in the Canaries archipelago.
No fatalities have been reported but the volcano was still active on Monday.
A Reuters reporter saw heavy smoke coming from the volcano and houses burning.
Officials said they were hopeful they would not need to evacuate any more people.
"The lava is moving towards the coast and the damage will be material. According to experts there are about 17-20 million cubic metres of lava," regional president Angel Victor Torres told Cadena Ser. Read More
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