Drone footage showed on Thursday (September 30) the devastation caused by the Cumbre Vieja volcano, which has been ejecting a destructive cocktail of ash, smoke and lava for more than 10 days.
Since erupting on Sept. 19 the volcano has destroyed more than 800 buildings, as well as banana plantations, roads and other infrastructure.
After meandering downhill to the coast for nearly 10 days, the lava reached the ocean just before midnight on Tuesday a kilometer west of Tazacorte and has created a rocky outcrop more than 500 meters wide.
On reaching the water, the lava cools rapidly, binding to the cliffside and enlarging the island’s territory.
Despite fears of toxic gases from the lava reacting with the seawater, authorities said the air remained safe to breathe inland.
Emergency services warned that ash thrown out from the crater was blocking sunlight and reducing visibility.
Several villages near the coastline remained locked down as a precaution but banana farmers were allowed access to their plantations to tend their crops.
Some 6,000 people have been evacuated and are yet to return to their houses, a local government spokesperson said on Thursday.