Two people observe the column of smoke and lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano upon its arrival in the Atlantic Ocean, on September 29, 2021, in La Palma, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, (Spain). Lava from the volcano, which entered on September 19 in – Kike Rincón – Europa Press
Today’s latest news about the La Palma volcano
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 29 (EUROPA PRESS)
The arrival to the sea of the lava flow from the La Palma volcano last night and the formation of a cloud of water vapor and other gases, possibly toxic, has forced the confinement of the neighborhoods of San Borondón, Marina Alta, Marina Baja and La Condesa, all of them located on the coast in the municipality of Tazacorte.
This has been reported by Rubén Fernández, substitute for the technical director of the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Assistance for Volcanic Risk of the Canary Islands (Pevolca), Miguel Ángel Morcuende, and who has appeared at a press conference with the spokesperson for the Scientific Committee, María José Blanco, director of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) in the Canary Islands.
Rubén Fernández has stressed that, despite the fact that it seems that the laundry is channeled, the eruption “is not stabilized.” For this reason, it has been decided to maintain the measures adopted regarding the evacuation of the population from the areas affected by the lava, as well as the measures related to the confinement of the aforementioned neighborhoods.
In this regard, it has indicated that a follow-up study is being carried out on the gases emitted by the contact of the lava with the sea and until there are definitive results that guarantee that these areas are out of risk, the measures will be maintained. confinement.
However, the spokesperson for the Pevolca Scientific Committee, María José Blanco, specified that the cloud of gases that originated on the coast is only limited to the contact area and has not spread laterally, so it is limited to a small area, without affecting any population.
The spokesperson for the Pevolca Steering Committee has advanced that the return of people will be allowed again to remove belongings, but always outside the 2-kilometer exclusion perimeter with respect to the volcano. If conditions allow it, starting tomorrow it will also be possible for farmers from irrigating communities outside this security perimeter to be able to access their farms to irrigate their plantations.
In this sense, Rubén Fernández indicated that they are working with the Civil Guard to establish a security convoy, while the Military Emergency Unit (UME) will be in charge of controlling air quality in the Puerto Naos area to be able to allow entry to these agricultural areas. This will also be done in the area north of the La Laguna mountain.
AFFECTED ZONE.
So far, the area affected by the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano has reached 476 hectares. Likewise, according to data from the European Copernicus network, there are a total of 744 buildings affected, of which 656 are totally damaged and 88 are partially damaged.
On the other hand, there are currently 185 people who have been housed in the Fuencaliente Hotel, who are the only evacuees who are housed in areas assisted by the Red Cross. For its part, the reception center installed in the El Fuerte Barracks is empty.
In addition, the exclusion of two miles in the maritime zone is maintained and the use of fpp2 masks is recommended in the entire environment of the volcanic eruption and, ultimately, in the entire environment of the Aridane Valley. As for air operations, this afternoon a flight was able to land at La Palma Airport.
INCREASE IN SEISMICITY.
In the last 24 hours, there has been an increase in seismicity in municipalities such as Fuencaliente and of the earthquakes detected, six have exceeded the magnitude of 3 and seven have been felt with a maximum intensity of III. Earthquakes also continue to occur at shallower levels, but with a lower incidence than those deeper.
In this regard, María José Blanco explained that this swarm is related to the ongoing eruption and recalled that in the case of the El Hierro volcano, seismic activity resumed in the Gulf area, with magnitudes even greater than those recorded before. of the eruption, so it is a behavior that has already occurred.
In another vein, animal protectors have complained that they are not being allowed to enter the affected area to collect animals. Rubén Fernández has indicated that the neighbors who are outside the exclusion zone have been allowed to feed their animals and the emergency services are also carrying out rescue work on those animals that are being found.
