Ash cloud closes Spain’s La Palma airport as new volcanic vent emerges
- The volcano has been erupting for a week and scientists said another volcanic vent had opened up, exposing islanders to possible new dangers
- La Palma Airport operator Aena said the airport was ‘inoperative’ due to the accumulation of ash
The airport on the Spanish island of La Palma shut down on Saturday because of an ash cloud spewing out of a volcano that has been erupting for a week, and scientists said another volcanic vent opened up, exposing islanders to possible new dangers.
The intensity of the eruption that began Sept. 19 has increased in recent days, prompting the evacuation of three additional villages on the island, part of Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off northwest Africa. Almost 7,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.
The recent volcanic eruption is the first since 1971 on La Palma, which has a population of 85,000.
La Palma Airport operator Aena said the airport was “inoperative” due to the accumulation of ash. Other airports in the Canary Islands were still operating on Saturday but some airlines were suspending flights, Aena said.
Emergency crews pulled back from the volcano on Friday as explosions sent molten rock and ash over a wide area. The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute said another vent opened early on Saturday.