New fissure opens in Canaries volcano

LOS LLANOS DE ARIDANE: A new fissure emerged in the erupting volcano on Spain’s Canary Islands, belching out more lava and forcing another 500 people to flee, officials said yesterday.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano has forced 6000 people from their homes and destroyed around 100 properties since it erupted on Sunday.

Emergency services said in a tweet late on Monday that “a new eruptive fissure has opened” and that the “population is being evacuated”.

The volcano straddles a ridge in the south of La Palma, one of seven islands that make up the Atlantic archipelago which lies off the coast of Morocco.