Canaries volcano erupts in apocalyptic scenes as 5000 terrified residents flee

Officials on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma began evacuating thousands of people and animals before huge plumes of smoke began billowing into the air sending lava spewing

Thousands of people have been forced to flee as a terrifying volcanic eruption sent lava spewing into the air and streaming in rivers towards their homess.

Officials on the Spanish Canary Island of la Palma began evacuating 5,000 people and animals before huge plumes of smoke began billowing into the air.

As a vast river of lava poured down towards populated areas in the south of the island authorities ordered the complete evacuation of four villages, including El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane.

Dramatic video footage showed the looming devastation as lava edged down from five five fissures torn into the hillside.

Fountains of lava could be seen firing hundreds of metres into the sky, and at least three incandescent orange rivers of molten rock were pouring down a hill, tearing gashes into woods and farmland.

One stream, several hundred metres long and tens of metres wide, crossed a road and began engulfing scattered houses in El Paso.

Other footage shared on social media appeared to show lava entering one home amid apocalyptic scenes as enormous rivers of lava spluttered and simmered perilously close to a long row of houses on the hillside.

Local resident Isabel Fuentes, 55, told Spanish television TVE: “When the volcano erupted today, I was scared.

“For journalists it is something spectacular, for us it is a tragedy. I think the lava has reached some relatives’ houses.

“I was 5 years old when the volcano last erupted (in 1971). You never get over a volcanic eruption.

She added that she had moved to another house on Sunday for her own safety.

The eruption came after earthquakes prompted the Cumbre Vieja volcano to explode just after 3pm on Sunday.

Shortly before, authorities evacuated around 40 people with mobility issues and farm animals from the villages surrounding the volcano.

Soldiers have also been deployed to help with the evacuation.

Canary Islands President Angel Victor Torres told a press conference on Sunday night that 5,000 people had been evacuated and no injuries had been reported so far.

“It is not foreseeable that anyone else will have to be evacuated. The lava is moving towards the coast and the damage will be material. According to experts there are about 17-20 million cubic meters of lava,” he said.

Flights to and from the Canaries were continuing as normal, the airport operator Aena said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in La Palma, the most northwesterly island of the archipelago, late on Sunday for talks with the islands’ government on managing the eruption.

“We have all the resources (to deal with the eruption) and all the troops, the citizens can rest easy,” he said.

The British government has urged anybody in the affected area to follow the advice of local authorities.

A spokesperson said: “On Sunday 19 September 2021, at approximately 15.15 local time, there was a volcanic eruption on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma. The immediate area of Cabeza de Vaca, El Paso has been evacuated.

“If you are in an affected area you should follow the advice of local authorities, including social media updates from Cabildo de La Palma.

“If you are planning to travel to the island imminently you are encouraged to contact your tour operators / airlines.”

An evacuation plan designed by the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca) is underway as a result of the volcanic eruption in ‘Cumbre Vieja’, in the area of Cabeza de Vaca. The volcanic eruption alert has gone from a ‘yellow’ traffic light to ‘red.’

According to the Civil Guard, the evacuation affects more than 5,000 people from different districts in the municipalities of El Paso, Tazacorte and Los Llanos de Aridane, and started with about 300 people who lived in Alcalá and El Paraíso, the closest areas to the eruption area – early in the day it had started with people with reduced mobility.

The Civil Guard has 11 Citizen Security patrols, the Citizen Security Unit, 3 traffic patrols, a maritime service patrol and a helicopter deployed in the area.

The emergency services recommend that the population remain calm, close doors and windows of their houses, plus the supplies of water, electricity and gas, carry documentation, mobile phone and battery-operated radio and in case of having animals, follow the evacuation plan guidelines.