“The airport is at a standstill because of the ash,” explained the company that handles Spanish airports.

The airport in La Palma, a Spanish island in the Canary Islands, was paralyzed by ash from a week-long eruption of the Cumbre Viz volcano, the company that manages Spanish airports announced Saturday. (Aina).

“The airport is at a standstill because of the ash,” Aina said. “Clean-up operations have begun, but the situation may change at any time,” she added.

Seven flights had to be canceled on Friday for the same reason. Violent eruptions and a large gray cloud emanating from the Cumbria Viza volcano on Friday ordered authorities to evacuate several neighborhoods in the city of El Paso.

Two new bursting mouths

Archipelago officials said they had issued a forced evacuation order for Tajuya, Taconde de Abajo and unoccupied parts of Tacante de Ariba, “considering the risk to the population due to the current eruption”. “.

Of the 160 people, more than 6,200 were forced to flee their homes, officials said. The Canary Islands Volcanological Institute said two new eruption holes have been erupted by lava flows in the volcano.

According to the latest data from the European Geospatial Survey Copernicus, the lava has so far destroyed 420 buildings and covered an area of ​​190 hectares on the island, whose main economic activity is banana cultivation.

The government will provide assistance

The speed of the lava flow that destroyed a part of the island in recent days has dropped significantly, and authorities are unable to predict when it will reach the Atlantic Ocean.

It is feared that the eruption of toxic gases could lead to a meeting between the lava and the sea.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced that the Spanish government will declare La Palma a disaster area next Tuesday. This measure will prevent the provision of assistance to residents.