A new lava flow that formed last weekend on the Spanish island of La Palma got closer to the village of La Laguna and is now within 800 metres, broadcasters RTVE reported on Thursday.
Around 1,200 residents of La Laguna had already been evacuated in mid-October. A few days after the evacuation, lava with a temperature of up to 1,300 degrees Celsius buried outlying areas of the village.
The new lava flow, which at first hardly moved forward on Thursday, is fed by a smaller volcanic cone formed on the north-east flank of the volcano in the past few days. In contrast, hardly any lava or smoke came out of the main vent.
Since the volcano first erupted on September 19 in the Cumbre Vieja region, the lava has destroyed or damaged 2,790 buildings, according to new data.
According to the latest figures, a total of 1,163 hectares have been covered by a metre-thick layer of lava. This area is equivalent to more than 1,500 football fields.
More than 7,000 inhabitants had to take refuge since the eruption of the volcano. An end to the eruption is still not in sight.
