La Palma volcano more active; government to pay millions in aid

The cone of the volcano on the Canary island of La Palma has partially collapsed and the lava flow towards the sea has increased, Spanish state broadcaster RTVE reported on Monday.

The rock, which has a temperature of more than 1,000 degrees, was flowing downhill along the same path as before, meaning that further evacuations were not necessary.

In Madrid, meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an emergency programme with aid payments amounting to 206 million euros (240 million dollars).

Since the beginning of the eruption, the lava has destroyed more than 1,000 buildings and caused great damage to agriculture and the island's infrastructure.

More than 5,500 people have had to leave their homes.

Volcanologists

The volcano in the south of La Palma island, which is less known to tourists than the other Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa such as Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura or Lanzarote, erupted on September 19 for the first time in 50 years.

Volcanologists have not been able to say how long it would remain active.