La Palma Volcano Is Still Spewing Lava, Emitting Ash Clouds On Spain Island Week After Eruption | See Photos

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It has been a week since the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain&rsquo;s Atlantic Ocean island of La Palma began erupting on September 19. After destroying hundreds of houses and forcing the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people, the volcano eruption entered a new explosive phase last week as the national Geographical and Mining Institute said its drones showed the volcano's cone had broken, news agency Reuters reported.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">La Palma is one of the eight volcanic islands in Spain&rsquo;s Canary Islands archipelago off Africa&rsquo;s western coast. The island has a population of 85,000. It last saw an eruption of the volcano in 1971.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to media reports, the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute reported the initial eruption near the southern end of the island shortly after 3 pm on September 19. Huge red plumes topped with black-and-white smoke could be seen soon after.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There had been an alert as the island had experienced low-intensity earthquakes and there had been the accumulation of molten lava below the surface of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The could be still seen spewing lava and emitting ash clouds as people used umbrellas to protect themselves from the volcanic ash, Reuters reported.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Its drone footage showed red hot lava flowing down the slopes of the crater like a rapid river &mdash; and homes, land and buildings getting engulfed by a black mass of older, slower-moving lava.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The village church in Todoque was destroyed by the lava Sunday afternoon.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The report said the La Palma airport reopened on Sunday, though it was all quiet as the boards showed only cancelled flights.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quoting experts, the report said there were two active lava flows, one fast-moving flow to the north and a slower one to the south.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look at the images that tell the story of the devastation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/3kKdzUV" alt="The Cumbre Vieja volcano spews lava, ash and smoke as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on the Canary island of La Palma on September 26, 2021 | Photo: AFP" /> <figcaption>The Cumbre Vieja volcano spews lava, ash and smoke as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on the Canary island of La Palma on September 26, 2021 | Photo: AFP</figcaption> </figure> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/3i9ZnD2" /> <figcaption>The Cumbre Vieja erupted, sending vast plumes of thick black smoke into the sky and belching molten lava that oozed down the mountainside on the island of La Palma | Photo: AFP</figcaption> </figure> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/3zI91mb" /> <figcaption><span style="font-weight: 400;">La Palma is one of the eight volcanic islands in Spain&rsquo;s Canary Islands archipelago off Africa&rsquo;s western coast | Photo: AFP</span></figcaption> </figure> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/3ugEniL" /> <figcaption>Smoke rises from cooling lava in Los Llanos de Aridane, on the Canary Island of La Palma on September 20, 2021 | Photo: AFP</figcaption> </figure> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/3iaPgxI" /> <figcaption>Clouds of thick black ash from volcanic eruptions in Spain's Canaries archipelago forced the closure of eviction of thousands on La Palma island | Photo: AFP</figcaption> </figure> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/3kKPVYA" /> <figcaption>The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on September 19, 2021, leaving a trail of destruction on La Palma island &nbsp;| Photo: AFP</figcaption> </figure>