Over 6,000 residents have been evacuated so far, and hundreds more were advised to stay home to avoid the possible inhalation of toxic gases. Banana plantations that are the source of income for many islanders have also been either destroyed or damaged by volcanic ash. But uneven terrain could make the lava overflow its current path, spread to other areas, and destroy more houses and farmland.Īt least 855 buildings and 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) of roads, as well as other key infrastructure, have been wiped out so far. 19 was still running downhill like a river and then tumbling over a cliff into the Atlantic. Molten fluid emanating from the volcano that first erupted on Sept. The direction the lava flow could take was also a source of concern.

The hydrochloric acid and tiny particles of volcanic glass released into the air can cause skin, eye and respiratory tract irritation. Trade winds typical of Spain’s Canary Islands were helping dispel the plumes of water vapor and toxic gases that result when the lava with a temperature of over 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 F) meets the ocean, where the water is 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 F).īut authorities were on alert because Spain’s weather forecaster, AEMET, indicated the wind’s direction could change later Thursday and bring the toxic plumes toward the shore and farther inland. LOS LLANOS DE ARIDANE, Canary Islands (AP) - The surface of Spain’s La Palma island is continuing to expand as lava from a volcano flows into the Atlantic Ocean and hardens when it comes into contact with the water, European Union scientists said Thursday.Ĭopernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, said Thursday that its satellite imagery showed a D-shaped tongue of molten rock building up on the island’s western shore measured 338 hectares (835 acres) by the end of Wednesday.

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