La Palma volcano enters new phase, expert says does not mean eruption ending

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, Nov 6 (EFE) – The active volcano on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma has entered a stage of “stability” according to officials Saturday.

Rubén Fernández, technical director of the Volcano Risk Prevention Plan (Pevolca), in a statement said that cleaning operations to remove volcanic ash that has blanketed rooftops and roads would be carried out in the coming days to provide people access to their homes.

Vicente Soler, a volcanologist at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), on Saturday said the Cumbre Vieja volcano had entered a new phase but that it did not signal that the end of the eruption was closer.

“There are too many factors at play, we have to wait several days. I wish the end was in sight, but that’s just a wish for now,” he told Efe.

Over 2,000 buildings have been wrecked by lava flows from the Cumbre Vieja volcano while ash has blanketed swathes of land on the island since the eruption began on September 19. EFE

brr/jt