The volcano erupted right after scientists warned of something brewing following an earthquake.
A volcano on the Spanish Canary Island of Las Palma has erupted, causing thousands to evacuate on Sunday, the New York Times reported.
The Spanish military said they are working to evacuate between 5,000 to 10,000 residents of the island that are located near La Cumbre Vieja national park, where the volcano is spewing lava and toxic smoke as it blankets the air.
With the molten liquid makes its way to residential areas, officials are fearing for the safety of its people after the volcano erupted just after 3 p.m. Sunday.
Located off the coast of Northwest Africa, just off the coasts of Western Sahara and Morocco. The Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands is a popular tourist destination. The volcano erupting on Las Palma is the first in 50 years.
Firefighters from neighboring islands have come to help control the situation as best they can as they help in securing the area.
"When the volcano erupted today, I was scared. For journalists it is something spectacular, for us it is a tragedy. I think the lava has reached some relatives' houses," local resident Isabel Fuentes, 55, told Spanish television TVE.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he has delayed his trip to the U.N. general assembly in New York City this week and has joined members of the country’s emergency response unit.
"We have all the resources [to deal with the eruption] and all the troops, the citizens can rest easy," he said in a statement obtained by Reuters.
Recently, scientists warned of an eruption after days of increased seismic activity in the area, including a magnitude 3.8 earthquake, the New York Times reported.
In 2021, Europe has seen many areas get hit with volcanic activity. Recently, Europe’s most active volcano, Mt. Etna in Sicily erupted for the 50th time this year.
In the first part of 2021, Iceland saw a volcano outside its capital of Reykjavik spew for months.
