A RIVER of lava from the La Palma volcano has smashed into the sea sparking fears of toxic gas.

       Dramatic images show a wall of flaming lava flowing down to the Atlantic Ocean unleashing huge clouds of steam.

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       Lava from the eruption flowing into the sea Credit: AP 5

       Thousands have now been evacuated Credit: Caters

       Three coastal villages had been locked down since Monday in anticipation of the lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano reaching the sea.

       A security perimeter of 2.1 miles has been established and residents told to remain indoors with windows shut to avoid breathing in gases.

       The emergency services have now told those outdoors to find shelter.

       “When the lava reaches the sea, the lockdown must be strictly observed,” Miguel Angel Morcuende, director of the Pevolca response committee, said.

       The lava from the eruption 10 days ago has formed a pyramid shape more than 150ft high in the sea and generated intense clouds of black and white smoke.

       "Hardly anyone in the Canary Islands has slept and the people of La Palma have been cowering in fear with a tremendous sense of desolation," said the islands' regional head Angel Victor Torres.

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       He said the devastation had been vast as the lava scorched a massive furrow towards the sea, hitting the island’s banana industry and causing 400 million euros worth of damage.

       "We are talking about lava flows that are 600 metres wide. In all of that area, there is nothing left, the devastation is tremendous," he said.

       When lava comes into contact with the ocean, it produces a gas plume known as laze - lava and haze - through a series of chemical reactions as it boils the colder sea water.

       Laze can cause eye, lung and skin irritation but should not be a problem if residents keep their distance.

       "It creates a steam of hydrochloric acid, water vapour and bits of ash," volcanologist Dr Robin George Andrews told the BBC

       "Obviously, it's not good to breathe in."

       Lava flowing down the volcano’s western flank has destroyed more 650 buildings and forced more than 7,000 residents to be evacuated.

       No deaths or serious injuries have been reported from the island's first eruption in 50 years, thanks to prompt evacuations in the first hours after the earth cracked open.

       Flights to the airport on La Palma, an important tourist destination along with its neighbouring islands, remained cancelled due to a huge ash cloud of over four miles.

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       Lava reacts with sea water to produce a toxic chemical 5

       The eruption is expected to cause 400 millions worth of damage Credit: AP 5

       Residents have been told to stay indoors Credit: Reuters

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