lava reaches the sea in La Palma and there are fears of toxic gases

Lava from the volcano that erupted 11 days ago on the Spanish island of La Palma reached the sea overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, generate potentially toxic gases, although for the moment it only involves a “minor” risk for the population.

AFPTV images broadcast this Wednesday morning large steam columns and gases that rose when the lava cascade entered the sea on the west coast of the island in the Atlantic archipelago of the Canary Islands.

The impact of the lava flow, over a thousand degrees, from the Cumbre Vieja volcano with ocean water finally occurred at 23:00 local time on Tuesday 19 Argentine time), a dreaded moment for days due to the possibility of explosions, poisonous gases and waves of boiling water.

As a preventive measure, the inhabitants of the neighborhoods closest to the municipality of Tazacorte they had been confined since Monday, while the authorities have established a security perimeter of 3.5 km on land and two nautical miles on water.

“Currently, we have a strong wind in the area which further dissipates this column (of gas) towards the sea, so the risk is much lower” for the population, Rubén Fernández, responsible for the Plan, told RNE public radio. . Volcanic emergencies in the Canary Islands (Pevolca).

It’s dangerous?

“At the moment we do not have no clue this makes us think that it is dangerous for the people who are in confinement, nor for the emergency teams, who also respect the security perimeters ”, noted Fernández.

“Inhalation or contact with acidic gases and liquids can irritate the skin, the eyes and the respiratory system and cause breathing difficulties “, had warned the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan).

Faced with the worst forecasts, the arrival of lava at the sea “It has developed normally”, welcomed Wednesday morning the regional president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, in an interview with COPE radio.

“A channel has been opened which from the volcano reaches the sea and what we all hope is that it will evolve in a natural way, stop extending” the tongue of lava on the island “and go towards the sea” , Torres said.

The lava flow had generated “a lava delta which is slowly gaining ground to the sea, ”the Spanish Institute of Oceanography tweeted on Wednesday morning.

Scientists said it was very difficult to predict the moment in which the lava would reach the sea, since its speed had varied in the previous days and had even stopped at a certain point.

On Monday morning, there was a noticeable reduction in activity at Cumbre Vieja volcano.

But in the afternoon of that day, the rash returned with renewed intensity, which caused the laundry to pick up speed and ended up reaching the water on Tuesday.

More 6,000 people had to leave their homes, but so far there have been no injuries or deaths, although serious property damage has been caused.

The lava has already destroyed 656 buildings – not all homes – and covered 268 hectares, according to the European system of geospatial measurement Copernicus, on this island of 85,000 inhabitants which lives on banana cultivation and tourism.

“To all this extent only lava remains the landscape will be different, the devastation is immense (…) The island of La Palma in this area is another island, ”lamented the regional president of the Canaries.

The rain of ashes came to render inoperative airport for 24 hours from Santa Cruz de la Palma on weekends, and although theoretically it works, there is hardly any flight arriving.

On Tuesday, the Spanish government approved a help package direct payments of 10.5 million euros ($ 12.2 million) to provide housing and basic necessities to those who lost everything due to the eruption.

Experts estimate that the rash can last for several weeks or even a few months.

The previous two eruptions on La Palma occurred in 1949 and 1971, killing a total of three people, two of them from gas inhalation.

AFP

ap