Authorities on the Spanish holiday island declare the disaster over: "It lasted 85 days"

Created: 12/25/2021, 7:50 PM

For the time being quiet: the volcano on La Palma.

© Miguel Calero / Imago

After about three months, experts on La Palma are now giving the all-clear.

Returnees should, however, ventilate well before they re-enter their stay.

La Palma - For the long-suffering people on La Palma there was good news on Saturday: The volcanic eruption on the Canary Island is over according to the experts.

"The eruption lasted 85 days and 18 hours," said official Julio Pérez in front of journalists.

The volcano's activity lasted ten days at a low level.

Nevertheless, the authorities warned that the still nameless volcano would remain unpredictable and could suddenly awaken to new life.

In addition, the gases that are still escaping are dangerous.

Anyone returning to their homes near the volcano to clean up ash or secure important items should ventilate the buildings for at least 15 minutes beforehand, state TV broadcaster RTVE reported.

Volcanic eruption on the vacation island of La Palma: 900 million euros damage

The volcanic eruption was the first on the Canary Island in 50 years.

Around 7,000 people had to leave their homes, many of whom lost all of their property.

Around 83,000 people live on the island in Spain.

Since the eruption began on September 19, the lava, which is more than 1000 degrees Celsius, has destroyed almost 2,900 houses and other buildings, according to the dpa.

Almost 1200 hectares were covered with a meter-thick layer of lava.

The damage is estimated at more than 900 million euros.