La Palma volcano eruption intensifies, engulfs more homes

Buildings near the volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma were engulfed by rivers of lava early on Saturday, with the drama of the red-hot eruption intensified by the spectacle of flashes of lightning.

The magma destroyed at least four buildings in the village of Callejon de la Gata, Reuters witnesses said.

“During the early morning new flows have caused more destruction of properties. Helplessness and pain in the face of so much damage,” tweeted Anselmo Pestana, the Spanish government representative in the Canary Islands.

There were a series of 37 seismic movements on Saturday, with the largest measuring 4.1, the Spanish National Geological Institute said.

However, La Palma’s airport reopened on Saturday after being closed since Thursday because of ash, Spanish air traffic operator Aena said. All other Canary Islands airports are open.

Since the Cumbre Vieja volcano began erupting on Sept. 19 it has destroyed nearly 1,150 buildings and engulfed 480 hectares (1,190 acres) of land, the European Commission Copernicus Emergency Management Service tweeted on Saturday.

About 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes on La Palma, which is one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic and which has about 83,000 inhabitants.

2:28 La Palma volcano: Lava gushes down mountain as new vents open

Lightning flashes were seen near the eruption early on Saturday. A study published in 2016 by the journal Geophysical Research Letters found lightning can be produced during volcanic eruptions because the collision of ash particles creates an electrical charge.

Airlines flying to the Canary Islands were advised to load extra fuel in case planes had to change course or delay landing because of ash, said a spokesman for Enaire, which controls the navigation in Spanish airspace.

(Reporting by Silvio Castellanos, Juan Medina, Graham Keeley; Editing by Jason Neely and Frances Kerry)