On the Island of Palma, Dozens of Houses were Damaged by a Volcanic Eruption

OREANDA-NEWS. On the island of Palma in the Canary archipelago, thousands of people are being evacuated in connection with a volcanic eruption. Cumbre Vieja, dormant for 50 years, woke up on Sunday, marking a return to activity with a massive lava outburst. Nearby settlements were in danger.

As a result of the volcanic eruption on the Spanish island of Palma (Canary Islands), no victims were affected, and dozens of residential buildings were affected by lava, regional authorities said.

"Already from 80 to 100 houses are affected by lava on its way to the sea, up to six meters high, which is slowly moving non-stop," - said the chairman of the government of the island of Palma Mariano Hernandez in an interview with radio station Cope Canarias. He also added that there were no injured people.

Earlier, the authorities reported about 5 thousand evacuated residents of nearby municipalities. Prime Minister Canar Angel Victor Torres said on Monday night that a new evacuation is not expected in the near future.

On Sunday afternoon on the island of Palma (Canary Islands), the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge began in the municipality of El Paso. Earlier, the National Geographic Institute of Spain recorded an increase in seismic activity on the island of Palma, more than 25 thousand earthquakes occurred in a week.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has postponed a planned trip to New York and personally arrived on the island to support the population. “Everything is going according to plan,” he assured. “The most important thing is to guarantee the safety of residents who may suffer from the eruption.”

The islanders were preparing for a possible disaster, only in the last week seismologists recorded up to a thousand tremors, the strongest with a magnitude of almost four points.

Experts said the volcano could remain active for several months. Flights to the Canary Islands are still operating as usual.

The last time Tenegia volcano erupted on Palma was in 1971. Also in the XX century, the volcano San Juan erupted - in 1949.