A new flow of highly liquid lava appeared on Friday on the Spanish island of La Palma, where Cumbre Vieja volcano has released 80 million cubic meters of magma since it erupted nearly two weeks ago, authorities said.
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According to the Spanish Institute of Geology and Mining (IGME), this new flow began around 02:30 (01:30 GMT), after a new mouth that is considered very streamlined appeared on the side of Cumbre Vieja, in the Canary Archipelago. Islands off the northwest coast of Africa.
Aerial videos uploaded by IGME and the Canary Islands Volcanic Institute (Involcan) showed a spectacular river of glowing lava making its way through the charred earth.
This new flow was added to the lava that continued to accumulate in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, forming a vast platform of magma, which exceeded 20 hectares in area and continued to grow.
France Press agency
Since its eruption on September 19, Cumbre Vieja has released “80 million cubic meters of magma,” the head of the regional government of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torres, said at a press conference.
According to Torres, that’s twice as much as what was emitted in 1971 from neighboring Teguya volcano at twice the time.
The eruption, which resulted in no deaths or injuries, resulted in the evacuation of about 6,000 of the island’s 85,000 inhabitants. It also destroyed 870 buildings and covered 358 hectares of land, according to the European Copernican geometry system.
France Press agency
After traveling six kilometers during the first days of the eruption, and then virtually stopping, the lava flow eventually reached the sea overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, releasing large amounts of smoke and toxic gases.
In order to avoid poisoning, a safety perimeter with a radius of 3.5 kilometers was established, as well as a maritime exclusion zone of two nautical miles. The authorities on the island also asked residents of several neighborhoods to isolate themselves in their homes.
France Press agency
In the last hours, the concentration of sulfur dioxide has increased in Tazacorte, the village closest to where the lava flows into the ocean, as the density of ash particles has increased throughout the area.
The Minister of the Presidency, Felix Bolanos, during a trip to the island, Friday, tried to reassure the residents, saying that the reconstruction of the affected areas would be a “priority” for the government.
According to Bolaños, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has visited La Palma twice since the eruption began, will return to the island on Sunday.
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