Thousands flee La Palma volcano eruption as rivers of lava flow toward villages

An estimated 5,000 residents fled their homes arsenic a volcano connected La Palma, 1 of Spain’s Canary Islands, erupted Sunday and sent streams of reddish molten lava downhill toward villages and a file of thick, acheronian fume into the sky.

Videos and photos connected societal media showed streams of agleam orangish lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano flowing done streets, engulfing houses and roads, portion fountains of lava and ash exploded overhead.

The volcano, which past erupted successful 1971, had shown signs of enactment successful the days starring up to the eruption, placing locals connected precocious alert.

The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, known arsenic Involcan, said that aboriginal measurements recorded temperatures of 1,967 degrees Fahrenheit (1,075 Celsius).

“Follow the proposal of the authorities and DO NOT GO adjacent the tract of the eruption,” the institute tweeted Sunday.

According to authorities, much than 22,000 tremors were detected successful 1 week astir the progressive volcanic region.

“According to experts determination are astir 17 to 20 cardinal cubic meters of lava,” Canary Islands President Ángel Victor Torres told a quality league Sunday night.

People with disabilities were evacuated up of the eruption, which took spot astir 3 p.m. section clip Sunday. Hiking trails had besides been cordoned disconnected to the nationalist arsenic a precaution, CNN reported.

Torres added that the lava was dilatory flowing “towards the coast” and that cipher other would request to beryllium evacuated.

Locals were advised to enactment distant from the country and to workout “extreme caution,” Reuters reported, arsenic soldiers were deployed to help.

On Sunday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez tweeted that helium had canceled his travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly and confirmed helium would beryllium arriving successful the country to assistance successful the aftermath of the eruption.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto caused a backlash aft she suggested that the volcano eruption could beryllium utilized to pull tourists. “We tin besides marque the astir of this arsenic an attraction, truthful that a batch of tourists who privation to bask what quality has brought to La Palma tin bash truthful successful the coming weeks and months," she said, according to The Guardian.

Rick Noack contributed to this report.