Canaries volcano lava reaches sea, raising toxic gas fearsLa Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on September 19, spewing out rivers of lava that have slowly crept towards the seaMADRID - Lava from an erupting volcano in the Canary Islands has reached the ocean, volcanologists said, raising fear of toxic gases being released as the lava hits the sea water. "The lava flow has reached the sea at Playa Nueva," the Canary Islands Volcanic Institute (Involcan) said on Twitter Tuesday night. La Cumbre Vieja volcano, which straddles a southern ridge in La Palma, an island with 85,000 inhabitants, erupted on September 19, spewing out rivers of lava that have slowly crept towards the sea. Experts say the entry of lava into the seawater will send clouds of toxic gas into the air, causing explosions and a fragmentation of the molten rock like gunshots. The eruption has forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 people from their homes but has not killed or injured anyone so far.
