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Flights scrapped as new volcanic eruptions hit Canaries

Video footage from the civil guard showed a garden in the area completely covered in thick ash.

FRESH VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS in Spain’s Canary Islands prompted the cancellation of flights, airport authorities said today, the first since the Cumbre Vieja volcano came to life again.

New evacuations were also ordered as large explosions and new openings were reported at the volcano on La Palma island.

A large cloud of thick, black ash spewed into the air, forcing several airlines to call off flights.

La Palma had six inter-island flights scheduled for today operated by Binter, Canaryfly and Air Europa, while the national carrier Iberia had a single service from Madrid to the mainland. All were scrapped.

They were the first flights to be cancelled since the volcano erupted on Sunday.

“It is not yet possible to say when we can resume flights,” Spanish carrier Binter said on Twitter.

Authorities also ordered new evacuations, adding to the 6,100 people already forced to leave to area this week, including 400 tourists.

The compulsory evacuation order was issued in parts of El Paso town on La Palma island “given the increased risk for the population due to the current eruptive episode”, the regional government said.

According to the European Union’s Copernicus Earth Observation Programme, the lava has so far destroyed 390 buildings and covered more than 180 hectares (445 acres) of land.

Video footage from the civil guard showed a garden in the area completely covered in thick ash.

Visiting the island, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced La Palma would be declared a zone affected by a catastrophe” which opens financial aid to residents.

Toxic gas fears

The speed of the lava flowing from the mouth of the volcano has steadily slowed in recent days, and experts are hoping it will not reach the coast.

If the molten lava pours into the sea, experts fear it will generate clouds of toxic gas into the air, also affecting the marine environment.

Authorities set up a no-go zone this week to head off curious onlookers.

No casualties have been reported so far but the damage to land and property has been enormous, with the Canaries regional head Angel Victor Torres estimating the cost at well over €400 million.

The eruption on La Palma, home to 85,000 people, was the first in 50 years.

The last eruption on the island came in 1971 when another part of the same volcanic range — a vent known as Teneguia – erupted on the southern side of the island.

Two decades earlier, the Nambroque vent erupted in 1949.

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    Mute Greg Ward
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    Sep 24th 2021, 10:49 PM

    Scrapped? Don’t be so dramatic. They were cancelled.

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    Mute Rory Byrne
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    Sep 24th 2021, 10:59 PM

    @Greg Ward: Why be so dramatic about a form of words, Greg?

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    Mute Eoin Roche
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    Sep 24th 2021, 11:09 PM

    @Rory Byrne: Why take issue with with someone taking issue, Rory?

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    Mute Gerry from the Block
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    Sep 24th 2021, 11:24 PM

    @Eoin Roche: You guys have issues

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    Mute Ian James Burgess
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    Sep 24th 2021, 11:38 PM

    @Rory Byrne: because scrapped is what you do with an old car or kettle

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    Mute Ian James Burgess
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    Sep 24th 2021, 11:39 PM

    @Eoin Roche: because nobody ever went to the airport to be told their flight had been scrapped

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    Mute John Fairclough
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    Sep 25th 2021, 12:07 AM

    @Greg Ward: I’m so fed up with this scrapped culture

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    Mute Betty Hoare
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    Sep 25th 2021, 9:36 AM

    @Rory Byrne: agree with Greg – use of language gone to the dogs. Word “like” in the wrong context has taken over and don’t get me started on the disappearance of the preposition “to.”

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    Mute Chewey Bacca
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    Sep 25th 2021, 9:52 AM

    If you go to google street view La Palma, town of Todoque there is a church San Pao bedide a roundabout. The lava is at the roundabout but not encroached on church yet. Irs moving slower and spreading out. The green house, cafe and orange bistro restaurante have collapsed with footage on Twitter. Search Todoque latest video tweers. This is a real live story that ive given the Journal a freebie to follow, no need for AFP feeds. Will the church survive ????

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Sep 25th 2021, 6:28 AM

    @Ian James Burgess: haha love it.

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    Mute Joe ryan
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    Sep 25th 2021, 10:16 AM

    Will we see the tsunami?

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