La Palma volcano: Residents told to stay indoors amid poisonous gas fears as 1,000° C lava reaches sea (VIDEO)

Lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands has reached the sea, Spanish volcanologists said late on Tuesday. They warned that toxic gases could be released as the magma hits the seawater.

An exclusion zone covering 2 nautical miles has been declared around the area where the lava hit the coast.

Authorities have asked residents outside of the zone to remain at home with their windows and doors closed.

Images of volcanic lava falling into the ocean at night.

Several earthquakes were recorded throughout the night on the island, of 3.3 the most intense, located 11 km deep under the town of Villa de Mazo.#Spain #Volcano #LaPalma pic.twitter.com/CjJDAUXOAp

— (@Bhabanisankar02) September 29, 2021

"The lava flow has reached the sea at Playa Nueva," Involcan, the Canary Islands Volcanic Institute, wrote on Twitter.

Entering the water, the lava created "an impressive deposit 50 meters high" in less than 45 minutes, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography told the newspaper El Pais.

The magma, which has a temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius, has already destroyed banana plantations and greenhouses. Locals had to be evacuated after the lava flow set fire to plastic tarpaulins and fertilizer, releasing poisonous fumes.

#SPAIN #LAPALMAVOLCANO #EU #VOLCANOLAPALMA#Toxic cloud forces evacuation of #firefighters & neighbors authorized to remove belongings in #Tazacorte.#Lava entered #platano #plantation & burned #plastics from #greenhouses & #fertilizers thus creating a toxic cloud already diluted pic.twitter.com/5QAyCnSB1V

— GLOBAL NEWS MONDE NOUVELLES NOTICIAS MUNDO GLOBAL (@socialismoolib1) September 28, 2021

Cumbre Vieja began erupting on September 19 for the first time in 50 years. Volcanologists say they cannot predict how long it will remain active.