Lava flow slows on Spanish island after volcanic eruption

TODOQUE – The beforehand of lava from a volcanic eruption successful Spain’s Canary Islands has slowed significantly, raising doubts Thursday astir whether it volition instrumentality retired crossed the onshore and destruct much homes alternatively of flowing into the sea.

A elephantine stream of lava slowed to 4 meters (13 feet) per hr aft reaching a plain connected Wednesday. On Monday, a time aft the eruption connected the land of La Palma, it was moving astatine 700 meters (2,300 feet) per hour.

As it slowed, the lava grew thicker. In places, it roseate up to 15 meters (50 feet) high, authorities said. The lava present covers 166 hectares (410 acres) and has swallowed up astir 350 homes.

The lava’s slowing gait bought clip for much residents of towns successful its way to drawback belongings, with the Guardia Civil constabulary unit escorting them to their homes successful Todoque, adjacent to the coast, connected Thursday morning.

The Guardia Civil said seismic enactment successful the area, which surged earlier the eruption and has remained strong, has stabilized.

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Molten lava, ash and fume continued to determination from the volcano’s mouth, shooting up to 4,200 meters (nearly 14,000 feet) high, the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute said. That raised concerns astir whether airspace supra the land could stay open.

ENAIRE, which manages Spain’s airspace, said 2 areas supra the affected country are being declared no-fly zones to let exigency services to run freely. Some flights into and retired of La Palma were delayed aboriginal Thursday.

The Emergency Military Unit deployed connected the land said the readings it has taken of the aerial recovered nary menace to health.

Authorities haven't reported immoderate casualties from the eruption, though harm to property, infrastructure and farmland is expected to beryllium significant.

Scientists were monitoring the volcano enactment and had warned of a imaginable eruption. That allowed astir 7,000 radical to beryllium evacuated successful time.

Officials had initially expressed fears astir what would hap erstwhile the lava reached the Atlantic Ocean. The lava, whose somesthesia exceeds 1,000 C (more than 1,800 F), could origin explosions, trigger landslides and nutrient clouds of toxic state erstwhile it hits the ocean, experts say.

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The eruption and its aftermath could past for up to astir 3 months, according to the Volcanology Institute.

Spain’s king and queen, and the Spanish premier minister, were owed to sojourn the affected country Thursday.

Life connected the remainder of La Palma, which is astir 35 kilometers (22 miles) agelong and 20 kilometers (12 miles) wide astatine its broadest point, has been mostly unaffected, with undeterred tourists landing for antecedently scheduled vacations.

The Canary Islands are a fashionable destination for European tourists owed to their mild year-round climate.

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Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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