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ARCHIVED - Hundreds of people flood La Palma docks trying to leave the volcanic island
La Palma airport was closed over the weekend as the ash cloud from the volcano reduced visibility
Scenes of chaos unfolded at the dock of Santa Cruz de La Palma over the weekend following news that flights out of the Canary Island’s airport had been grounded due to the pervasive ash cloud that continues to spew from the Cumbre Vieja volcano, which first erupted on Sunday September 19.
While the La Palma airport has since reopened, Binter airline has announced that it will suspend all of its flights until at least 1pm on Monday until conditions “improve and allow flying while guaranteeing safety.” This has forced hundreds of stranded residents and tourists to flock to the coast in an attempt to catch a boat off the island.
The increased demand has led to the two main shipping companies extending the number of boats covering the route between Santa Cruz and the Los Cristianos dock in the south of Tenerife. However, dockside workers were overwhelmed with the numbers of passengers vying to leave the island and the booking systems were inundated with callers.
Where is the lava from La Palma volcano now?
On Sunday evening, the lava flow from the volcano was located around 1.6 kilometres from the coast after passing through the town of Todoque, whose residents were evacuated several days ago as a precautionary measure. Nevertheless, the confinement zone has been extended to include San Borondón, Marina Alta, Marina Baja and La Condesa with fears growing that toxic gas will be released once the lava reaches the ocean. Residents in the coastal area of Tazacorte have been ordered to remain indoors with their windows and doors closed until the situation can be further evaluated on Monday September 27.
The technical director of the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Assistance for Volcanic Risk of the Canary Islands (PEVOLCA), Miguel Ángel Morcuende, has indicated that the lava is currently travelling at about 100 metres per hour, and although its path will be determined by the terrain, no new evacuations have been ordered.
Image: Puertos de Tenerife
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