Spanish volcano activity in La Palma island intensifies, suspending flights and forcing more evacuations

By Al Goodman, CNN

Officials on the Spanish island of La Palma have ordered more evacuations on the sixth consecutive day of eruptions from the Cumbre Vieja volcano. Flights to and from the island have been canceled because of volcanic ash.

Emergency services for the Canary Islands ordered the evacuation of two towns, and part of a third town that had not yet been evacuated.

Several flights to and from La Palma on Friday afternoon were canceled, according to the website of Spain’s airport operator, AENA.

Binter airlines, which serves the Canary Islands, tweeted that it had canceled flights to La Palma and to the nearby island of La Gomera due to the volcanic ash.

It was the sixth straight day of volcanic eruptions on La Palma, one of the smallest islands in Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remained on the island Friday morning, where he’s been most of the week since eruptions started last Sunday.

Sanchez told reporters on Friday that the Spanish government has approved “immediate financial aid for housing” for displaced people as well as financial aid for those affected to purchase household goods.

Angel Victor Torres, president of the Canary Islands, said on Thursday that some 400 homes and buildings had already been destroyed by the lava, according to reports in Spanish media.

Spain’s King and Queen on Thursday traveled from Madrid to La Palma and met evacuees as well as emergency personnel.

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