La Palma volcano lava reaches sea after nine-days of carnage sparking toxic gas fears

A RIVER of lava from the La Palma volcano smashed into the sea sparking fears of toxic gas. Dramatic images show a wall of flaming lava flowing down to the sea as the huge clouds of steam are unleashed. APLava from the eruption flowing into the sea[/caption] CatersThousands have now been evacuated[/caption] Three coastal villages had been locked down since Monday in anticipation of the lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano, reaching the sea. A security perimeter of 2.1 miles has been established and residents told to remain indoors with windows shut to avoid breathing in gases. The emergency services have now told those outdoors to find shelter. “When the lava reaches the sea, the lockdown must be strictly observed,” Miguel Angel Morcuende, director of the Pevolca response committee, said. The lava from the eruption 10 days ago has formed a pyramid shape more than 150 high in the sea and has generated intense clouds of black and white smoke. “Hardly anyone in the Canary Islands has slept and the people of La Palma have been cowering in fear with a tremendous sense of desolation,” said the islands’ regional head Angel Victor Torres. Most read in The Sun MONSTER Cop handcuffed & 'arrested' Sarah Everard in 'fake Covid patrol' before murder KATIE ARREST Katie Price charged with driving while disqualified after she rolled BMW A GREAL PAIN Jack Grealish forced to move out of flat after fans discovered where he lived WUHAN FILES Bombshell clues 'PROVE' China hid Covid lab leak in 'cover-up of the century' 'TROUBLED' Katie 'crashed on all-nighter' as cops probe if she was 'on way for more drugs' WAXING LYRICAL I’ve been a bikini waxer for 20 years and my clients don’t wash beforehand He said the devastation had been vast as the lava scorched a massive furrow towards the sea, hitting the island’s banana industry and causing 400 million euros damage. “We are talking about lava flows that are 600 metres wide. In all of that area, there is nothing left, the devastation is tremendous,” he said. When lava comes into contact with the ocean, it produces a gas plume known as laze – lava and haze – through a series of chemical reactions as it boils the colder sea water. Laze can cause eye, lung and skin irritation but should not be a problem if residents keep their distance, he said. “It creates a steam of hydrochloric acid, water vapour and bits of ash,” volcanologist Dr Robin George Andrews told the BBC “Obviously, it’s not good to breathe in.” Lava flowing down the volcano’s western flank has destroyed more 650 buildings and forced more than 7,000 to be evacuated.  No deaths or serious injuries have been reported from the island’s first eruption in 50 years, thanks to the prompt evacuations of in the first hours after the earth cracked open. Flights to the airport on La Palma, an important tourist destination along with its neighbouring islands, remained cancelled due to a huge ash cloud of over four miles. Lava reacts with sea water to produce a toxic chemical APThe eruption is expected to cause 400 millions worth of damage[/caption] We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 02077824104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.