Officials spent Monday assessing the damage from the volcano that erupted on Spain’s Atlantic Ocean island of La Palma. The video above shows the wild scene around the volcano on Monday.
The volcano erupted Sunday after a weeklong buildup of seismic activity, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands. The lava flows destroyed isolated houses and threatened to reach the coast. New eruptions continued into the night.
Scientists had been monitoring La Palma in the Canary Islands in recent days. Thousands of mostly small earthquakes were hitting the area ahead of the volcano eruption. Authorities evacuated around 5,500 people before it happened.
Thanks in part to the evacuation efforts, there were no reports of injuries as of late Monday afternoon. However, The lava destroyed more than 100 homes on the hillsides.
One of them belonged to German couple Matthias and Anette Fuchs. “It was a special place. We saw it once, and we fell in love,” Anette said. “It was a paradise.”
The lava from the volcano was moving at 2,300 feet per hour, according to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute. Scientists monitoring the lava measured it at more than 1,800 degrees.
Officials said they expected the lava to reach the Atlantic Ocean around sunset. If it reaches the ocean, there is the potential for explosions and clouds of acidic steam. Scientists say the lava flows could last for weeks or months, but the immediate danger to local people appears to be over.
Daniel Álvarez, a bar owner in one of the closest villages to the volcano in Spain said, “For now, it seems like it’s safe, but the lava is opening many paths. We have all of our lives inside (our house). We would need to start over again.” Álvarez was evacuated with his family on Sunday.
Canary Islands government chief Ángel Víctor Torres said officials in Spain weren’t expecting any more volcano eruptions. However, “There will be considerable material damage,” he said.
Prime minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez visited the the area surrounding the volcano Monday, forcing him to delay his trip to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. He praised scientists for monitoring the eruption and promised his government would help the locals rebuild their lives.
