MADRID After a weeklong buildup in seismic activity, a volcano on Spain's Atlantic Ocean island La Palma erupted Sunday. This prompted authorities to accelerate evacuations of around 1,000 people.
Cumbre Vieja was last erupted in 1971. The eruption was reported by the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute. From a volcanic ridge, huge plumes of black-and white smoke rose from a location where scientists had been closely monitoring the accumulation of moltenlava beneath the surface. The black jets that shot rocks into air contained hints of red.
La Palma is home to 85,000 people and is one of eight Canary Islands archipelago islands. They are located 100 km (60 miles) away from Morocco, their closest point to Africa.
Authorities in La Palma began to evacuate people with limited mobility after days of what scientists call an earthquake "swarm".
The island's southern tip is sparsely populated. Residents in five villages nearby were already warned to be alert and prepared to evacuate their homes in the event of an eruption.
As vibrations from seismic activity were felt at the surface, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake was recorded prior to the eruption.
According to the Scientific Committee of the Volcano Risk Prevention Plan, stronger earthquakes could be felt. This committee of experts also pointed out that rock falls and landslides are possible along the island's southwest coast.
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