Desiree MARTIN –AFP/ Getty Images
MADRID — Authorities said Sunday that several new volcanic vents were discovered on La Palma, Spain. They are releasing lava which is rapidly falling down a ridge, and could cause more damage to evacuated homes, roads, and land.
Maria Jose Blanco, spokeswoman for Spain’s National Geographic Institute, stated that the molten rock erupting from the main vent was extremely fluid and was moving at 6 meters (20 feet per minute) towards unspoiled areas.
On Sept. 19, the eruption began on the island, located at the western end in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago of the Canary Islands.
In the 10 weeks since then, at least 11 different lava flows have been identified by scientists, covering at least 1,100 hectares (2,700 acres) of land, including thousands of homes, roads, power lines and irrigation pipes for the island’s economically important banana plantations.
One of the rivers of lava last week destroyed a local cemetery, reburying the remains of over 3,000 people.
Despite the damages, no injuries or deaths have been directly linked to the eruption.
Experts said at least 80 quakes were recorded overnight, with the most powerful reaching a magnitude of 3.6. Some of them could be felt by residents.
Despite the unabating volcanic activity on the island, flights returned to La Palma this weekend, following a week of cancellations by airlines due to the amount of volcanic ash blowing in the airport’s direction. Tourism is a big industry for all of the Canary Islands, a favorite warm weather vacation site for Europeans.
