After a volcanic eruption: thousands brought to safety on La Palma

Status: 09/20/2021 01:09 AM

Glowing magma and ash in the air, lava flows from crevices: For the first time in 50 years, a volcano has erupted on the Canary Island of La Palma. Thousands of people have already had to be brought to safety.

By Reinhard Spiegelhauer, ARD Studio Madrid

Many were prepared to leave their homes and apartments. The island council asked people in five particularly endangered communities on Saturday to pack emergency bags and prepare for an evacuation.

Scientists had said at the end of the week that it was impossible to know whether there would be an outbreak in a few days, in a few weeks, or at all. Mariano Zapata, President of the Island Council, reassured the people – there were no signs that an outbreak was imminent.

But yesterday afternoon the time had come: A first fountain of glowing rock sprayed from a crack in the volcanic flank, and more opened up over the next few hours. First two lava flows slowly flowed down the slope. Several streets had to be closed, the liquid rock reached the first houses.

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More evacuations expected

By late evening, almost 5,000 people had been brought to safety, the Guardia Civil reckons that the number could rise to 10,000. Those who cannot stay with relatives go to one of the sports halls that have been set up as emergency shelters – like this woman who lives only a few kilometers from the eruption zone: Her whole family has fled, she and her partner, brother and parents. Around 500 tourists also had to leave their accommodation, they were accommodated in other hotels.

As early as Sunday morning, a few hours before the outbreak, the authorities had started to bring around 500 people to safety who are dependent on wheelchairs or who, for other reasons, would not have been able to get themselves to safety quickly enough. Because recently, in addition to the many thousands of weak quakes of the past week, there were also several more violent ones – up to a strength of four on the Richter scale.

83,000 people live on the island of La Palma – including many Germans.

Image: AFP

No injuries so far

In the initial phase, the eruptions are relatively violent, according to David Calvo from the Canarian Volcanological Institute, a lot of magma is looking for a way to the outside under the earth’s surface. In a few days, the situation could calm down, and then the tough lava flows would probably become the biggest problem, says the scientist. However, one does not say that with certainty at the moment. After all, nobody has been injured so far.

Volcanic eruption La Palma – 5000 people brought to safety from lava

Reinhard Spiegelhauer, ARD Madrid, September 19, 2021 11:49 p.m.

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