Lava from a volcano destroys houses in the La Laguna neighborhood, on the Canary island of La Palma.

Photo: AP

Forced by the advance of lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma, the authorities of the Canary Islands decided to evacuate the municipalities of Llanos de Ariadanne and Tazacorte.

According to the Emergency and Security Directorate of the local Government, the cities of Las Martelas (Llanos) and Marina Alta, Marina Baja, La Condesa and Cuesta Zapata (Tazacorte) were the evacuated areas.

About 7,000 people have been evacuated in the regions affected by the eruption, which has devastated more than 860 hectares.

The new neighborhoods evicted are on the way from the wash to the sea, in the northern area of ​​the lava delta that is being formed several days ago.

Update #Pevolca to Thursday, October 21:

➡ Right now the air quality is good in most of the island, although particles in suspension continue in the places closest to the eruption.

In this type of atmosphere, the use of FFP2 masks is recommended.

- Cabildo de La Palma (@CabLaPalma) October 21, 2021

The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, assured this Wednesday that his Executive and the administrations seek to alleviate the damage of the eruption.

"With the mayors of affected municipalities we have addressed the availability of land for housing and planning issues, and at the same time continue to acquire more homes to continue responding to the housing emergency on La Palma," he wrote on his Twitter account.

He also indicated that in the coming days, the Governing Council will approve no less than 100 million euros (more than 116 million dollars), which can be expanded, to rebuild the island and that would be contemplated in the 2022 Budgets.

"We cannot fight to prevent the lava from getting where it is going to go," he said.

“We have no mechanism for this to change.

We are at the mercy of the volcano, "he added.

Some media are confusing the concepts of INTENSITY and MAGNITUDE of earthquakes.

Yesterday there was talk of possible earthquakes of intensity VI in La Palma (widely felt by the population);

in no case of 6.0 magnitude earthquakes.

Thanks pic.twitter.com/EqkNZZ0ksO

- Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (@ IGME1849) October 21, 2021

The seismic activity also intensified and in recent hours has picked up again.

The National Geographic Institute (IGN) registered 38 earthquakes since midnight.

The highest magnitude was 4.3 and intensity IV in Villa de Mazo, with a focus at a depth of 37 kilometers.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano became active on September 19, with more than 860 hectares destroyed and 2,185 buildings razed and another 76 under risk.

See also

La Palma registers a 4.8 earthquake, the largest since the volcano erupted

(With information from teleSUR)