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Thursday April 25, 2024

3,000 shut indoors on Spanish island as lava reaches sea

By AFP
November 23, 2021

LA PALMA ISLAND, Spain: Around 3,000 people were ordered to remain indoors on the Spanish island of La Palma on Monday as lava from an erupting volcano reached the sea, risking the release of toxic gas.

The Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca) "ordered the confinement" of residents of coastal towns and villages near where the lava cascaded into the sea, sending large plumes of white smoke into the air, local emergency services said on Twitter. The order was given due to "the possible release of gases that are harmful to health," it added.