Ongoing La Palma volcanic eruption now the island’s longest ever
Madrid, Dec 12 (EFE).- An ongoing eruption on Spain’s La Palma is now the longest in the island’s history as Sunday marked the 85th day the Cumbre Vieja volcano has been spewing lava.
Since the eruption began on September 19, over 7,000 people had to evacuate their homes.
Molten rock reaching temperatures of up to 1,300C has also devoured more than 3,000 buildings and 1,184 hectares of land.
The volcanic eruption on the Spanish island has been showing signs of easing but experts say that caution must be taken.
Lava flow activity has decreased, and some 24 earthquakes were recorded on La Palma in the past 24 hours, however, none of them was felt by the island’s population.
The volcano has changed the appearance of La Palma as the main cone of the volcano, now reaching a height of 1,124 meters above sea level according to the National Geographic Institute Sunday, has become some of an icon on the island.
The lava flows that made it to the sea expanded island’s surface by 44 hectares.
La Palma has also become a tourist attraction, with hundreds of people wanting to see the volcano in person.
No one has lost their life as a direct result of the eruption thanks to the quick thinking of the authorities and scientists who evacuated the area when the eruption seemed imminent.
However, one accident that could be indirectly related to the eruption is under investigation.
The Cumbre Vieja is one of Spain’s longest eruptions, behind Timanfaya volcano on the Canary Island of Lanzarote, which remained active for six years back in the 18th century.EFE
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