La Palma is one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. Its population is about 83,000, and the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted in the middle of September. The disaster has destroyed hundreds of buildings and forced the evacuation of thousands from their homes. There is no letup in the eruptions, and rivers of lava constitute a significant threat to lives and properties.
When the volcano erupted, the authorities hastened the evacuation of the people. The intention was to move them out of harm's way. Instruments like a seismograph can predict disorders beneath the ground, but they cannot pinpoint the exact location.
Hence, there is hardly any time available to take remedial action to face the crisis.
The magma destroyed some buildings in one of the villages. People saw flashes of lightning near the eruption. Travel in such situations is difficult because of the presence of toxic gases in the atmosphere. Moreover, the condition of the roads deteriorates.
Farmland devastated by the volcano
The molten lava from the volcano engulfed large areas of farmland. These are as good as lost and would affect the banana plantations in La Palma. It would be an irreparable loss because this island is the second-largest producer of bananas in the Canary Islands. These are a major source of income for the people and accounts for nearly 50 percent of the island's economy.
The ash cloud from the eruption disrupted other flights while the volcanic ash covered the island's salt flats. This led to the loss of huge amounts of salt. Moreover, the saltworks are one of the items that bring in the tourists for La Palma.
Lava streams continue to flow from the La Palma volcano
Fresh streams of lava continue to flow from the La Palma volcano.
This situation arose from the partial collapse of the volcanic cone. It happened overnight and opened a path for the molten lava stream to head towards the ocean. It was down the Cumbre Vieja ridge towards the western shore.
These posed a threat of the possible destruction of more buildings on the island. The authorities said the new path of the lava flow is in the same area from the urgent evacuation of nearly 6,000 residents.
They had to leave their homes and farms.
The volcano is creating a new delta
Experts maintain a close watch on the delta formed when the main lava flow reached the sea last week. This is what emergency official Miguel Angel Morcuende says. He cautioned that it would not be stable, and portions of it could collapse. That could cause explosions and large waves. However, there is no danger as such since people are evacuated from the area.
Lava has covered large areas of La Palma, as confirmed by the EU's Copernicus Emergency Management Service. The airport had been closed due to ash and is now reopened. Tourists are also arriving to witness the eruption. Some tourists love to see the volcano eruptions ignoring the dangers.
