# La Palma residents grapple with devastation wrought by volcano
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-09-30
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: La Palma residents struggle as Cumbre Vieja volcano
Meta Description: Residents of La Palma struggle to cope with the destruction caused by the erupting volcano, forcing evacuations and leaving thousands homeless.
URL: https://financedigest.com/la-palma-residents-grapple-with-devastation-wrought-by-volcanohtml

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By Miguel Pereira and Borja Suarez

LA PALMA, Spain (Reuters) -Residents of Spain’s La Palma were struggling on Thursday to come to terms with the devastation wrought by the Cumbre Vieja volcano, which has been ejecting a destructive cocktail of ash, smoke and lava for more than 10 days.

Carmen Rodriguez, who lost her home in the village of Todoque, was caught off guard by the advancing column of molten rock.

“We never thought that the volcano was going to reach our house, never,” she said, recalling how she rushed to salvage belongings during a last-minute evacuation before the lava engulfed her home.

“There were so many people and difficulties, there was a queue. Thankfully we were able to take the washing machine, the fridge and a cooker that I recently bought.”

I only ask that they give us a [place to live](https://www.financedigest.com/terraced-streets-most-neighbourly-places-to-live.html "Terraced streets most neighbourly places to live"), that they give us a habitable house, nothing more,” she said.

Some 6,000 [people have been evacuated](https://www.financedigest.com/the-man-who-evacuated-200-people-from-mariupol-in-a-battered-red-van.html "The man who evacuated 200 people from Mariupol in a battered red van") and are yet to return to their houses, a local government spokesperson said on Thursday.

Since erupting on Sept. 19 the volcano has destroyed more than 800 buildings, as well as banana plantations, roads and other infrastructure.

It’s unimaginable that this would happen, and now we are [living worse days](https://www.financedigest.com/pensions-awareness-day-could-you-get-by-on-less-than-living-wage.html "Pensions Awareness Day: Could you get by on less than living wage? ") than the COVID state, which was already a bit unreal,” said Dutch national Emilie Sweerts, who has lived on the island in the Canaries archipelago for six years.

I really thought this would be my paradise island,” she said from her jewellery store in Tazacorte, a [small coastal town which the lava ploughed through on its way](https://www.financedigest.com/4-ways-small-businesses-can-save-money-while-outsourcing.html "4 Ways Small Businesses Can Save Money While Outsourcing") to the sea, wrecking houses and farms.

After meandering downhill to the coast for nearly 10 days, the lava reached the ocean just before midnight on Tuesday a kilometre west of Tazacorte and has created a rocky outcrop more than 500 metres wide.

On reaching the water, the lava cools rapidly, binding to the cliffside and enlarging the island’s territory.

[Despite fears](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-rises-on-strong-crude-demand-despite-china-fears.html "Oil rises on strong crude demand, despite China fears") of toxic gases from the lava reacting with the seawater, authorities said the air remained safe to breathe inland.

Emergency [services warned that ash thrown out from the crater was blocking sunlight and reducing](https://www.financedigest.com/four-tips-to-help-reduce-employee-ghosting-in-financial-services.html "Four tips to help reduce employee ghosting in financial services") visibility.

Several villages near the [coastline remained locked down as a precaution but banana farmers were allowed](https://www.financedigest.com/new-tool-allows-you-to-explore-the-entire-british-coastline-from-your-sofa.html "New tool allows you to explore the entire British coastline from your sofa") access to their plantations to tend their crops.

Reuters correspondents on the island said the eruption appeared to have calmed from around 1000 GMT and no lava was being expelled from the crater, though smoke continued to billow out.

(Writing by Nathan Allen, Editing by Andrei Khalip and Raissa Kasolowsky)


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