Several small earthquakes shook the island of La Palma in the Atlantic Ocean off northwest Africa on Tuesday, keeping nerves on edge after a volcanic eruption on Sunday. The island, with a population of 85,000, is part of the Canary Islands archipelago, a key tourist destination for Europeans. The lava’s advance has slowed to about 120 meters (400 feet) an hour, according to the head of the Canary Island Volcanic Emergency Plan, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, and wasn't expected to reach the Atlantic Ocean before Wednesday. Torres asked locals to remember the island's last eruption in 1971, when one person died after inhaling the gas emitted as lava met the water. The new fissure opened after what the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute said was a 3.8-magnitude quake.

Source: ABC News September 21, 2021 08:24 UTC