320 buildings and 154 hectares of land are already overwhelmed by the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano , on the island of La Palma in the Spanish Canary archipelago.
This is what emerges from the updated data of the European Copernicus system, according to which in some points the casting has even reached a height of over ten meters. The Cumbre Vieja continues to erupt steam and lava, which is slowly advancing towards the west coast of La Palma.
According to experts, the contact between the lava and sea water, which could occur in the next few hours, could trigger explosions or emissions of toxic gases due to the strong contrast between temperatures.
Near the volcano there are "impressive explosions" of "lava bubbles" and a "shower of ashes," said volcanologist David Calvo, in connection with Spanish public television Tve. About 6,000 people have been evacuated on the island, including several hundred tourists.
There is alarm in the village of Todoque, whose approximately 1,200 inhabitants have already been sent away: "The lava engulfs the houses as if they were made of paper," a resident told the Efe agency.
"Nothing can be done," said the regional president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, according to whom the damage is estimated so far at 400 million euros. The rash should go away in a period of between 24 and 84 days.
(Unioneonline / D)
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