Over 5,000 people were forced to evacuate after a volcano on La Palma, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, erupted on Sunday around 3:15 p.m. local time. As the volcano continues to spit out lava and ash, live drone footage from the region shows the extent of the damage.
The eruption of La Cumbre Vieja over the weekend marks the Canary Islands’ first in 50 years. Though there have been no reports of fatalities, the lava, moving at 700 meters per hour, has destroyed at least 100 houses.
The lava from the eruption is set to reach the sea at around 8 pm local time today, which regional leader Angel Victor Torres fears could trigger toxic gases and reduce visibility at sea.
Meanwhile, the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute is working tirelessly to obtain key scientific data from the eruption, including measuring sulfur dioxide concentrations as well as the chemical composition of the plume, taking thermal images, and setting up a geochemical station to monitor…
