Hundreds more evacuated as La Palma lava changes path

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma ordered around 750 residents to evacuate their homes on Tuesday, as a river of lava threatens to engulf more neighborhoods.

The volcanic eruption has already forced 6,000 people from their homes on the island, but a new stream of molten lava that the volcano unleashed on Saturday is slowly moving toward more areas in the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane.

Residents were given six hours to grab their pets and most important possessions and move to a safer area.

This new stream of lava has already decimated a nearby industrial area. On Monday, around 3,500 people were told to stay indoors due to the toxic gases produced by the lava coming into contact with a cement factory.

The La Cumbre volcano has been spewing lava since Sept. 19, and experts say it shows no signs of stopping.

Seismic activity remains high, with Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN) reporting 64 earthquakes in a matter of hours, the strongest of which had a magnitude of 4.1.

So far, the volcano has destroyed more than 1,200 buildings and nearly 600 hectares of land.