4 weeks on, no sign Spanish volcano eruption is close to end

There is no sign that a volcanic eruption on the Spanish island of La Palma is coming to an end, four weeks after it began, officials said Sunday.

The volcano on one of the Canary Islands off northwest Africa has so far destroyed more than 1,800 buildings, mostly homes, though prompt evacuations have helped avoid casualties on the island of some 85,000 people.

Canary Islands President Angel Victor Torres said scientists monitoring the eruption that began Sept. 19 have seen no indications that the eruption is abating, as rivers of lava continue flowing slowly toward the sea.

"We are at the mercy of the volcano," Torres told reporters. "It's the only one who can decide when this ends."

Some 7,000 people have had to leave their homes.