Fear of poisonous gases in La Palma

A good week after a volcanic eruption on the Spanish Canary island of La Palma, lava, which is around 1,000 degrees, is pouring into the sea. “The lava has reached the sea,” the Spanish Institute of Oceanography tweeted early Wednesday morning and posted impressive photos taken by one of its ships on Twitter. On it you can see how the glowing orange mass flows like a waterfall over the cliffs in the black Atlantic, billowing smoke and clouds of steam.

It was feared that if lava comes into contact with salty sea water, toxic gases mixed with hydrochloric acid could be formed. For this reason, curfews have already been imposed in four regions with a total population of about 300.

“When you’re abroad, find a safe place to go,” the Canary Islands Security Authority tweeted. According to the Marine Rescue Service, lava has been pouring into the sea since midnight (CEST). A south wind blows. The Institute of Oceanography also tweeted that lava can be seen advancing to the foot of the cliff. This is also shown in a video posted online. When lava collides with water, it appears to explode.

La Vanguardia newspaper reported that a 50-meter-high pyramid was built up after lava and rocks fell into the sea. Previously, a lava flow near the municipality of Tazacorte fell down a slope about 100 meters high.

The volcanic island was declared a disaster area on Tuesday. To date, nearly 600 buildings have been destroyed by the glowing hot mass. The number of people who had to leave their homes decreased slightly to 5,600 after some residents were allowed to return. According to regional government estimates, the damages amount to several hundred million euro.

The lava reached the sea.

Photo: cornerstone

Lava had already destroyed banana plantations and large greenhouses near the coast on its unstoppable journey towards the sea. Their plastic sheets and the synthetic fertilizers stored there caught fire.

The volcano in the Cumbre Vieja mountain range in the south of the island off the west coast of Africa erupted on September 19 for the first time in 50 years. Even volcanologists have not been able to say how long it will remain active. It may take weeks or months. (MEG/SDA/DBA)

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