Canary Island La Palma: Lava masses destroy more than 180 houses

The volcanic eruption on the Canary Island of La Palma is causing ever greater damage. So far, more than 180 houses have been destroyed. If the lava masses reach the sea soon, there is a new danger.

What the lava has done so far is best seen from the air. Spanish media have sent camera drones: They show the steaming, black mass that lies like a huge blob on the landscape of La Palma. Buried under it: houses, farms, streets, here and there burning cars are standing around.

Residents can only watch from a safe distance as their belongings are destroyed, like this man. “We are directly affected, have left our property. With a huge amount of uncertainty and fear,” he says.

During the night on La Palma the earth had shaken again, at least four times. As a result, another crevice opened at the volcano, from which glowing lava now also flows. There are now nine openings. Another village is threatened with it, helpers bring more and more people to safety.

“We have an emergency in terms of living space”

The number of people who had to leave their homes has risen to 6,500. Most of them stay with relatives, others sleep in sports halls. But that can only be an interim solution, says Canary Islands President Ángel Victor Torres. “We have an emergency in terms of living space. For a few days, the evacuees can stay with family members or in the emergency quarters,” said Victor Torres. “But this situation will last for a long time, we have to find solutions for it now. We are looking for that together with the Island Council, the affected communities and the government.”

The lava roller continues to eat its way across the island, but more slowly than calculated yesterday. The speed is now around 120 meters per hour. Experts expect the glowing mass to reach the sea tonight. The meeting of lava and water poses a new danger, says Pedro Vélez, director of the Oceanic Institute of Tenerife. “The lava is over 1000 degrees, the sea is currently 24 degrees. We expect an enormous amount of steam and huge columns of white smoke.”

Other researchers compare the effect with a situation in the kitchen: You pour water into a frying pan that is full of hot oil. The whole thing only in much larger dimensions. Therefore, the authorities of La Palma call on people to stay away from the areas of the coast where the lava is expected.

“The crisis does not end when the lava reaches the sea”

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the island would be declared a disaster area. “The crisis does not end when the lava reaches the sea. No, it ends at the earliest when life on La Palma returns to normal – and everything can begin to be rebuilt that the lava has destroyed.”

The regional government of the Canaries estimates the damage caused by the volcanic eruption at around 400 million euros. It is still unclear what insurance companies will take over from this.

The Prime Minister is leaving the island today to fly – slightly late – to the UN General Assembly in New York. And to leave earlier than planned from there: On Thursday, Sánchez wants to be back on La Palma, even if the Spanish royal couple visits the disaster area to get an impression of the situation.