The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma, one of the islands that form the Spanish Canary archipelago, has already destroyed a hundred houses, devastated by the lava that continued to flow towards the coast, burying several roads and a school. The flow, which has already reached 1,100 degrees, is advancing at a speed of 700 meters per hour along its western slope, descending towards the coast. According to the geologist Jose Mangas, when it reaches the sea there may be “explosions” and “acid rain”, which is why the authorities are issuing instructions to the local population to protect themselves from ashes and gas.
On public television, the mayor of El Paso, one of the four villages evacuated as a precautionary measure, reported that in his country “at least twenty houses have been completely destroyed”. “In its passage, the lava left absolutely nothing”, added the mayor, stressing that the locals are in a state of uncertainty and confusion because “they will not be able to return to their homes for a long time”. In this condition, at the moment, there are about 5 thousand people.
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The current priority of the Spanish authorities is to “guarantee the safety” of citizens, given that “the volcano’s activity continues”. This was stated by the Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez, who went to the scene yesterday to follow the management of the emergency, postponing his trip to the United States for the UN General Assembly. “Let’s be careful, let’s not get close, let’s stay distant”, is the prime minister’s recommendation who called the eruption a “catastrophe”. Speaking before Sánchez, the regional president of the Canary Islands Angel Victor Torres he said that, so far, there have been no casualties and no one needed health care.
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