Thousands evacuated after volcano erupts on Spain’s Canary island

Authorities in Spain’s Atlantic Ocean island of La Palma have evacuated thousands of people after a volcano erupted on Sunday with lava flows destroying isolated houses and threatening to reach the coast.

The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute reported the initial eruption shortly after 3pm near the southern end of the island, which saw its last eruption in 1971. New eruptions continued into Sunday night.

Víctor Torres, president of the Canary Islands, said that some 5,000 people had been evacuated from their homes. Most, he said, had found family or friends to take them in. The rest were in shelters.