Lava From La Palma Eruption Reaches The Atlantic

Daniel Roca and Joseph Wilson, AP News – A bright red river of lava from the volcano on Spain’s La Palma island finally tumbled over a cliff and into the Atlantic Ocean, setting off huge plumes of steam and possibly toxic gases that required local residents outside the evacuation zone to remain indoors on Wednesday.

The immediate area had been evacuated for several days as authorities waited over a week for the lava that began erupting on September 19 to traverse the 6.5 kilometres (4 miles) to the island’s edge. On the way down from the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge, the flows have consumed at least 656 buildings, mostly homes that turned out to be in its unstoppable march to the sea.

The meeting of molten rock and seawater finally came at 11 p.m. on Tuesday. By daybreak, a widening promontory of newborn land could be seen forming under plumes of steam rising high into the area.

Even though their initial readings of the air quality showed no danger in the area, experts had warned that the arrival of the lava at the ocean would likely produce small explosions and release toxic gases that could damage lungs. Authorities established a security perimeter of 3.5 kilometres (2.1 miles) and asked residents in the wider area to remain indoors with windows shut to avoid breathing in gases.

No deaths or serious injuries have been reported from the island’s first eruption in 50 years, thanks to the prompt evacuations of over 6,000 people in the first hours after the earth cracked open following weeks of tremors.

The flattening of the terrain as it approached the coast had slowed down the flow of the lava, causing it to widen out and do more damage to villages and farms. The local economy is largely based on agriculture, above all the cultivation of the Canary plantain.