The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Spain's Canary Islands Sunday, spewing out lava, ash and a huge column of smoke after days of increased seismic activity and forcing the evacuation of around 5,000 local people, authorities said.
Cumbre Vieja, which last erupted 50 years ago, straddles a ridge in the south of La Palma island, home to around 80,000 people.
The evacuation was obligatory in a dozen areas placed on a maximum alert and temporary shelters were opened. The interior ministry said 200 members of the security services had been mobilised, with a helicopter as back up.Experts had been keeping a close watch on the volcano after observing a recent upsurge in seismic activity and magma displacements.
An earthquake swarm is a sequence of seismic events occurring in one place within a relatively short period of time.AFP | DESIREE MARTIN
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