The La Palma volcano in the Canary Islands, which has been erupting steadily for weeks and shows no immediate sign of ending its activity, has produced a second lava flow that is rapidly approaching the sea. The flow is 200 meters away from the coast and could lead to the formation of a new headland, according to Involcan, the region's volcanological institute, on Sunday. The south-flowing lave stream from Cumbre Vieja volcano is now just 200 meters from the sea, prompting authorities to step protection measures in the Tazacorte area, due to possible explosions and the emission of harmful gases. The flow of lava was nearing the coastal cliffs at a speed of 15 meters per hour, said DPA International in a report Monday. The main flow of lava has been pouring into the Atlantic for about two weeks, creating a new spit of land that measured some 36 hectares on Sunday, meaning maps of the island will need to be redrawn. Meanwhile, on Sunday there were again dozens of earthquakes in the Cumbre Vieja mountain range. The quakes are not particularly dangerous, however, occurring at magnitudes of up to 4.6 on the Richter scale and at depths of more than 30 kilometers, according to the authorities. In the Canary Islands since midnight, more than 40 earthquakes have been detected by Spain's Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), as reported by El País. The largest had a magnitude of 4.6 and occurred in Villa de Mazo. Seismologists believe the volcano will likely remain active for some time to come, however. Four weeks after the volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma first erupted, local officials and experts are warning that there is no end in sight. Lava continues to pour from the volcano, which has seen thousands of islanders forced to evacuate their homes. "The end is probably not imminent," Angel Victor Torres, president of the Canary Islands, said on Sunday. "We are at the mercy of the volcano," Torres told reporters. "It's the only one who can decide when this ends." Meanwhile, Spanish Formula 1 star Fernando Alonso has revealed a special helmet he will wear for next weekend's US Grand Prix in support of the people of La Palma. Canary Islands flag carrier Binter has reported that its first flight landed in La Palma Monday morning after almost two days of inactivity at La Palm airports due to the volcanic ash cloud caused by the Cumbre Vieja volcano Lava is now covering 789.6 hectares, up 35.8 hectares in 41 hours, and the number of destroyed building now stands at 1,835 (+121). About 35,000 earthquakes and tremors have recorded in La Palma during the past month. Volcanic activity entered the 29th day on Monday, having begun on Sept. 19. Lava forming huge delta on La Palma coast. The delta has claimed around 40 hectares of new land from the Atlantic About 7,000 out of the 83,000 inhabitants on the island have so far been evacuated from their homes. Nearly 37 miles of roads have also been destroyed. Authorities in La Palma, Spain, have announced new lockdowns as lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano engulfed a cement factory, causing a huge cloud of smoke. Out of those airlines that operate flights to La Palma, state airport operator Aena said on Sunday 22 out of the 38 flights to the island had been canceled, but the airport there remains open. — Agencies
