The authorities of the Spanish island of La Palma, in the Canary archipelago, decreed Monday, November 22 the confinement of about 3,000 people, for fear of potential toxic fumes linked to the arrival in the sea of a new flow. of lava spewed out by the Cumbre Vieja volcano.
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The Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca) "
orders the containment
" of inhabitants of towns and coastal hamlets located near where lava cascaded into the sea in a large plume of white smoke, said on Twitter the emergency services of the archipelago. This confinement is due "
to the possible emanations of gases harmful to health,
" the statement added.
This decision concerns "
around 3000 people,
" said Miguel Ángel Morcuende, technical director of Pevolca, during a press conference.
This is the third time that a lava flow has reached the sea since the start of the eruption of Cumbre Vieja on September 19.
If the lava only devastated part of the west of the island, the ash spat by the volcano again led to a suspension of operations at the airport in Santa Cruz de la Palma, the island's capital, on Monday. located on the east coast, said airport manager Aena.
Air traffic disruption
The regional company Binter has announced the cancellation of all its flights to and from La Palma on Monday.
Sunday, the disruptions at the airport had forced many tourists to fall back on ferries to Tenerife, another island in the archipelago.
In addition, for the first time since the start of the eruption, the island authorities have asked the inhabitants of Santa Cruz de la Palma to wear an FFP2 mask in order to protect themselves from sulfur dioxide fumes.
Read also Eruption in the Canaries: canceled flights to La Palma
Experts do not see for the moment the end of the eruption which, according to the land register, destroyed almost 1,500 buildings including nearly 1,100 homes.
According to the latest data from the European geospatial measurement system Copernicus, lava has covered 1,065 hectares.