The Spanish authorities pull the rip cord and yesterday declared the volcanic island of La Palma a disaster area. All flights are suspended.

Volcanic catastrophe in the Canary Islands: so far, almost 600 buildings have been destroyed by the glowing hot mass. Only a few hundred meters separate the lava, which is around 1000 degrees Celsius, from the sea. The consequences would be fatal. Because when the lava comes into contact with the salty sea water, poisonous gases mixed with hydrochloric acid can also form. For this reason, the authority imposed a curfew for the residents of four districts of the island.

Air traffic with the island was still suspended. The only alternative was ferries to the larger neighboring island of Tenerife. However, the aviation portal Aero reports long waiting times. "Both the volcanic ash warning center in Toulouse and the AEMET (the meteorological service of Spain, ed.) Report ash - no flights can be carried out," said the airline Binter Canarias on Tuesday on Twitter.