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Volcano eruption in Spain's Canary Islands destroys dozens of homes
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Homes were decimated, as lava flowed from the Cumbre Vieja volcano in Spain's Canary Islands, destroying as many as 100 homes by Monday.
According to BBC News, the initial eruption occurred Sunday, in La Palma, after a week of intense seismic activity.
The island had been alert for a possible volcanic eruption after several earthquakes were felt over the weekend.
In fact, the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute (Involcan) said on Facebook that over 25,000 earthquakes had been detected in the past nine days around the Cumbre Vieja volcano.
The most significant earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.2, occurred Sunday.
As Cumbre Vieja erupted, the Institute used social media to urge members of the public to stay away from the area and for residents to shut their windows and doors.
THE ERUPTION HAS JUST BEGUN IN LA PALMA. THESE IMAGES HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY INVOLCAN PERSONNEL #LaPalma #volcanology pic.twitter.com/twJwZfbAjw
— INVOLCAN (@involcan) September 19, 2021
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez delayed his departure to New York for the UN General Assembly to travel to La Palma.
"I am at the moment heading to the Canary Islands because of the seismic evolution, to see first-hand the situation in La Palma, the coordination of the means and the protocols that have been activated," Sánchez tweeted Sunday.
According to the BBC, no casualties have been reported.
Four villages were placed under mandatory evacuation orders and temporary shelters were erected, in addition to this, around 500 tourists were also evacuated.
Canary Islands President Angel Victor Torres said Monday that additional evacuations are unlikely to be necessary.
The volcano last erupted 50 years ago, in 1971.
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