It reiterated that pilgrims require a Haj visa and it can be obtained through recognised official channels
A volcano on Spain’s Atlantic Ocean island of La Palma erupted Sunday after a weeklong buildup of seismic activity, prompting authorities to speed up evacuations for some 1,000 people.
The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute reported the eruption on Cumbre Vieja, which last erupted in 1971. Huge plumes of black-and-white smoke shot out from a point in the volcanic ridge where scientists had been closely following the accumulation of molten lava below the surface.
Tinges of red could be seen at the bottom of the black jets that shot rocks into the air. One lava flow was quickly seen sliding down the mountainside and approaching a group of houses.
La Palma, with a population of 85,000, is one of eight islands in Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago. At their nearest point to Africa, they are 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Morocco.
Itahiza Dominguez, head of seismology of Spain’s National Geology Institute, told local TV station RTVC that although it is too early to tell how long this one would last, prior “eruptions on the Canary Islands lasted weeks or even months.”
After days of what scientists call an “earthquake swarm,” authorities on La Palma had already started to evacuate residents with reduced mobility Sunday shortly before ground broke open.
The area near the southern tip of the island where the ridge is located is sparsely populated. Residents of the five nearby villages had already been told to be on alert and ready to leave their homes in case of an eruption.
A 3.8-magnitude quake was recorded before the eruption as vibrations from the seismic activity were felt on the surface.
The Scientific Committee of the Volcano Risk Prevention Plan said stronger earthquakes “are likely to be felt and may cause damage to buildings.” The committee of experts also noted that a stretch of the island’s southwest coast was at risk for landslides and rockfalls.
It reiterated that pilgrims require a Haj visa and it can be obtained through recognised official channels
The 18-year-old was taken to hospital in a serious condition
The brothers, who say they are innocent, are accused of having formed an organised criminal network in early 2021 in Romania, as well as in the US and Britain
The left-handed batter scored 3369 runs in 136 one-day internationals and 2893 in 140 Twenty20 internationals — both Pakistan records
Food supplies were distributed to 80 households
On January 31, a heart was airlifted from Delhi to Chennai, paving the way for Ayesha Rashid's life-saving surgery
The online retailer, which is headquartered in Singapore, has said it has around 108 million monthly active users in the 27-nation EU
The baby girl named Rouh, meaning Soul, suffered respiratory problems and a weak immune system, a doctor at the Emirati Hospital in Rafah said