Canary blast: La Palma airport reopens, but flights suspended

In La Palma, Cambre Vieja continues to discharge its lava flows over the Spanish island, but the situation in the Canary Islands appears to be improving this Sunday**. Twenty-four hours after it was closed due to volcanic ash, La Palma airport has reopened, although flights are suspended by airlines waiting for better flight conditions. **

“La Palma airport is operational again”, announced the company that manages Spanish airports (ANA) on Twitter, specifying that its reopening was made possible by “ash cleaning” work carried out during the night had gone.

Flights can resume “with prior agreement” from air traffic control officials, Aina said, still advising passengers to consult with their airline to find out about their flight there before heading there.

On Sunday afternoon, flights to and from La Palma remained suspended until the situation improved.

Over 6,000 withdrawals

Authorities allowed some evacuated residents on Sunday to recover their personal belongings and on Saturday about 200 were also able to return home.

For the past week, the anger at Cumbre Vieja has already forced more than 6,000 of the island’s 85,000 residents to leave their homes.

The explosion, the first time on the island since 1971, has not yet claimed any victims, according to officials, but caused heavy damage.

The “ash fall” affects municipalities close to the volcano, but also other municipalities that are located “on the east side of the island”, detailed technical director of the Volcanic Emergency Planning for Canary (Pevolka) in a press conference on Sunday. given details. Miguel Angel Morcuende. “All this does not affect the air quality in the inhabited area of ​​the island. The air quality is always good,” he insisted nonetheless.

destroyed plantations

According to the latest data from the European geospatial measurement system Copernicus, the lava blast destroyed 461 buildings – or 41 more in 24 hours. The reefs, meanwhile, affected 1,314 hectares of land at this stage, according to Copernicus, covering more than 200 hectares of banana plantations, the main economic activity of the fifth island of the Canaries.