According to Spain’s National Geographic Institute, the quake was one among around 60 that were recorded overnight. The Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to spew fiery rivers and lava that are destroying everything they come across and dumping molten rock in the Atlantic Ocean.
Officials claim that more than 1,600 buildings were destroyed by the lava, with half of these being houses. However, prompt evacuations have prevented any deaths. Around 7,000 people were forced to leave their homes, 300 of which occurred on Thursday.
Angel Victor Torres, President of Canary Islands, stated that “this is certainly the most serious eruptions in Europe over the past 100 years.”
He said, “The only good news…so far nobody has been injured.”
According to the La Palma government, although flow from three rivers of molten rocks increased to nearly 1.8 km (just over one mile), their advance has slowed down to a crawl.
Authorities claim that 674 hectares (1.665 acres), of hard, blacklava are now covered on the west side of the island. However, most of la Palma remains unaffected.
Local authorities advised residents not to travel by car as volcanic ash could be ankle-deep at times. As of Thursday, the volcano’s plume was approximately 2,600m (or 8,500 feet high).
La Palma is a part of Spain’s Canary Islands. This archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off northwest Africa has a thriving economy that depends on tourism and cultivation of the Canary Plantain.