The lava of Cumbre Vieja volcano, which has been going on for 10 days, on the island of “La Palma” in the archipelago of the Canary Islands, southwest Spain, formed a platform at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level within two days.
With the continued flow of lava since September 19, the delta of lava formed in the sea expanded Thursday, and more gases were emitted.
Experts from the Institute of Volcanology of the Canary Islands and the Spanish Institute of Mines and Geology have warned that air pollution in the region is increasing due to the increase in gas emissions.
In a statement to reporters, experts said that the ash and gas emitted from the volcano reached a height of 3,500 meters during the past hours, and that daily sulfur dioxide emissions amounted to 10,757 tons.
According to data from the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Earth Observation System, lava has covered more than 450 hectares in the past 12 days, affecting nearly 24 kilometers of roads, and destroying about 980 buildings, 750 of which are homes.
Authorities announced that lava was still threatening 1,200 homes in the area, with 6,200 people being evacuated.
The last eruption of the “Cumbre Vieja” volcano occurred 50 years ago, and the volcano is located south of the island of “La Palma”, which is inhabited by nearly 85,000 people.
Located off the northwest of Africa, the Canary Islands is an archipelago of seven islands, and the last eruption of a volcano was recorded in 2011 that erupted underwater near the island of Iliero.
