Lava Tsunami Adds To La Palma Volcano Eruption

Two 4.5 magnitude earthquakes have shaken the Canary Island of La Palma, as the ongoing volcanic eruption on the island continues to spew molten lava.

Spanish officials said the earthquakes were facilitating a  “a true lava tsunami,” as lava spewed from the Cumbre Vieja volcanic range and snaked down the side engulfing everything in its path.

The latest lava flow is now threatening to destroy much of the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane, whose 800 residents have now been ordered to leave their homes.

According to National Geographical Institute, the quakes were the strongest to hit the island, since the volcano erupted on the 19th September.

To date, some 7,000 people of the island´s 85,000 population have been forced to flee their homes to escape the lava flow, which has engulfed over 1, 500 buildings including the small town of Todoque, whose 1,200 residents are being sheltered in sports and municipal buildings across the island.

Two main rivers of lava are still flowing from the Cumbre Vieja to the Atlantic Ocean where it has formed a volcanic peninsula.

The volcano has coughed up ocean sediment that pre-dates the island’s formation 2 million years ago, Vicente Soler of Spain’s Higher Center for Scientific Research said.

Some 680 hectares of land, including valuable banana plantations have been lost to the lava.

The previous time the Cumbre Vieja erupted in 1971, seismic activity continued for over a month.

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