Lava pours from Canary Islands’ volcano, villages evacuated

Cumbre Vieja is one of most active volcanic regions of Spanish islands with last eruption in 1971.

A volcano has erupted on the island of La Palma, in Spain’s Canary Islands, sending lava shooting into the air and streaming towards nearby villages in the south of the island, as the authorities began evacuations.

The eruption began at 3:15pm (14:15 GMT) on Sunday on a wooded slope in the Cumbre Vieja national park, the government said.

Cumbre Vieja is one of the most active volcanic regions in the Canaries and the eruption comes after a week-long buildup of seismic activity, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of people from nearby settlements.