Lava from La Palma volcano burns cement plant, causing lockdown

A jet of glowing lava gushing from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma engulfed a cement plant on Monday, raising a thick cloud of smoke and prompting the authorities to order the containment of the inhabitants of the region.

Local emergency services have asked residents of the towns of El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane to stay indoors and close their windows, blinds and air conditioning units to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes of the burning plant as it was gradually swallowed up by the lava.

“Lock yourself up, if possible, in the most interior rooms”, the emergency service said via its Twitter account. Miguel Angel Morcuende, technical director of the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan, said the plant fire had “Produces very dense smoke which pollutes the air”.

The area affected by lava in the eruption that began on September 19 expanded by 10% overnight, reaching nearly 600 hectares, he said. Following the partial collapse of the volcano cone on Saturday, a new river of lava flowed to the sea, devouring the banana and avocado plantations and most of the remaining houses in the town of Todoque.

Torrents of molten rock destroyed 1,186 buildings in the three weeks following the eruption, the Canary Islands Volcanic Institute said. About 6,000 people were evacuated from their homes in La Palma, which has a population of around 83,000. (Reuters)