Date Published: 23/09/2021
ARCHIVED - Spanish King to visit La Palma following volcanic eruption
ARCHIVED ARTICLE The Royals are travelling to the Canary Island to observe the work of the emergency services after the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted
The Spanish Royal Family will travel to the Canary Island of La Palma on Thursday September 23 to experience firsthand the devastation caused by
the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano last Sunday, and to speak with residents affected by the natural disaster. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will be joined on the island by Spanish president Pedro Sánchez, who has travelled from New York after speaking at the United Nations General Assembly.
According to the European satellite system Copernicus, the lava flow has slowed considerably in recent days as it makes its way to the sea, and in fact only progressed 14 hectares between Tuesday and Wednesday. There are ongoing concerns about the ash cloud and noxious gasses being produced by the volcano, with experts warning that
residual particles are expected to hit the mainland via the Region of Murcia on Friday. However, the Military Emergency Unit (UME), which has been continuously monitoring the air quality since the eruption, has advised that people need not fear for their health as all of the tests to date show that the gas is harmless.
Nevertheless, the National Geophysical Observatory reported this morning that the volcano has entered into
a more explosive and intense phase, with a significant amount of lava flow in the past few hours alone. The subsequent ash cloud has now moved over Mazo airport and while Aena and Enaire have yet to implement any restrictions, six inter-island flights between Tenerife and Gran Canaria have already been delayed.
The Port of Tazacorte in La Palma is home to five different species of dolphins, pilot whales, sperm whales and fin whales, but experts believe that these animals could disappear for months on end, as happened in 2011 with the eruption of the underwater El Hierro volcano.
The Fancy Tazacorte, a whale and dolphin watching company in the area has reported that while the vast bulk of their German, Belgian and Dutch clients have cancelled the scheduled tours, others “wanted to get close to an area where they could see the volcano and take photos,” according to Aníbal Pino, captain of the whale-watching boat.
“Many tourists are interested in seeing it and taking photos, but we are not going to take people to see it. We are losing everything here and so we are not going to make money from this disaster”, he added.
Image 1: Involcan
Image 2: Ministerio de Interior