The volcanic eruption from Cumbre Vieja on the Canary Island of La Palma has been declared closed after three months of activity. – The best Christmas present, says the Prime Minister of Spain.
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The eruption lasted for 85 days and 18 hours, the authorities stated at a press conference on Saturday.
The volcanic eruption did not cause any deaths or injuries, but destroyed 1,345 homes, mainly west of the island. In addition, many schools, churches, medical centers and agricultural infrastructure were destroyed.
The eruption started on 19 September after 50 years of inactivity, and on the evening of 13 December it subsided abruptly. Now experts have concluded that the volcano has calmed down again, local authorities were able to announce on the first day of Christmas.
– All gratitude to the people of La Palma, tweets Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
– We will continue to work together, all the institutions, to rebuild the wonderful island of La Palma and repair the damage that has occurred, he adds.
The damage from the eruption is estimated to have a price tag of just over NOK 9 billion. Parts of the island resemble a lunar landscape, where only the pipes of buried houses protrude from the ashes. More than 7,000 people were forced to leave their homes to avoid the lava flows.
Even if the outbreak is over, the crisis is not over, warns the head of the crisis service Pevolca in the Canary Islands. He refers to the extensive damage.
– It is not joy or satisfaction – how can I describe how we feel? It’s emotional relief. And hope, says Pevolca director Julio Pérez.
Around 12,000 acres of the island are covered with lava. The banana plantations, which together with tourism are La Palma’s most important industry, were hit hard.
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