THE eruption of the volcano on Spanish isle La Palma has destroyed 100 homes and forced 500 tourists to flee.

       The La Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Sunday shooting 1,000C lava hundreds of metres into the air streaming towards towns and forcing thousands to evacuate.

       11

       Lava engulfs a house in the Cumbre Vieja national park Credit: Reuters 11

       The moment a river of lava swept into the garden of a house Credit: Twitter/@jlromandiaz 11

       The river of molten rock smashed its way into the dining room of a house Credit: Twitter/@BomberosLaOliva 11

       The eruption could be seen from miles away Credit: Reuters 11

       Lava flows behind houses following the huge eruption Credit: Reuters

       No fatalities have been reported but the volcano was still active on Monday as experts fear the eruption could last for weeks or even months.

       Mariano Hernandez, president of La Palma's council, told Cadena Ser the lava flow has destroyed about 100 houses so far.

       Local authorities have evacuated about 5,000 people from four villages, including El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane, Canary Islands regional president Angel Victor Torres said on Monday morning.

       Around 500 tourists were rescued from a hotel in the coastal resort of Puerto Naos and offered emergency accommodation in an old barracks in Santa Cruz.

       Mayor Sergio Rodriguez said the molten rock was now spreading through the village of Los Llanos de Aridane "where hundreds of houses are at risk".

       "The lava left absolutely nothing in its path", Rodriguez told TVE.

       Terrifying footage revealed the moment a river of orange-topped volcanic rock swept into the garden of a house as firefighters made a desperate bid to stop the lava.

       Most read in The Sun

       ROASTED! Meghan HUMILIATED at Emmys as host absolutely rips into her and Harry

       NOT AGAIN! Brits face ANOTHER uncertain Christmas due to Covid & supply issues, PM admits

       SLEEPOVER MASSACRE Suspect, 31, who 'killed 3 kids & mum on sleepover' pictured

       BABY HULK Brazil star Hulk announces his NIECE is pregnant with his fourth child

       ROLL AWAY Ex Greggs worker shares shop secrets, including why he’ll ‘never go there again’

       Exclusive

       NOT JA-JA-JABBED Third Strictly Come Dancing pro refuses vaccine as show crisis deepens

       The dramatic video showed the lava bursting through the ground-floor windows of the house as the river of molten rock smashed its way into the dining room.

       The luxury home was one of 20 properties engulfed in the village of El Paso by the endless flow of volcanic rock spewing from the volcano overnight.

       Another video showed a stream of magma swallowing a house as it disappeared under a plume of black and white smoke.

       A local who filmed the destruction said: "The lava's heading in the direction of those homes and is going to eat them up. All the properties in the area below this road the lava is crossing at the moment are going to disappear."

       But no further evacuations are likely to be needed as the lava sweeps towards the sea and away from the towns and villages, Torres said.

       "The lava is moving towards the coast and the damage will be material," the regional president said.

       Despite the destruction Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said the island is still open to tourists.

       She told Canal Sur radio: "The island is open, if your hotel is affected we will find you another one.

       "Make the most of this opportunity to enjoy what nature has brought us."

       WARNING TO BRITS

       The British government has issued a warning to holidaymakers planning to travel to and from the luxury holiday destination after the volcano started rumbling and showing signs of activity last week.

       The UK government said last night: "On Sunday 19 September 2021, at approximately 15.15 local time, there was a volcanic eruption on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma.

       "The immediate area of Cabeza de Vaca, El Paso has been evacuated.

       "If you are in an affected area you should follow the advice of local authorities, including social media updates from Cabildo de La Palma.

       "If you are planning to travel to the island imminently you are encouraged to contact your tour operators and airlines."

       An evacuation plan was launched on Sunday after the eruption and emergency services urged people remain calm, keep their doors and windows closed and keep key documents on them.

       People are also encouraged to keep their phone and a battery operated radio on them at all times and those with animals should follow evacuation guidelines.

       Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cancelled a scheduled trip to New York for the UN General Assembly after the eruption and arrived at the scene late on Sunday evening.

       "All services are prepared to act in a coordinated fashion," Sanchez wrote on Twitter.

       Mariano Hernandez, president of La Palma island, has urged people to stay away from the eruption.

       "People should not come near the eruption site where the lava is flowing," Hernandez said.

       "We are having serious problems with the evacuation because the roads are jammed with people who are trying to get close enough to see it."

       Canary Islands' local airline Binter has cancelled four flights to and from the island of La Gomera after the volcanic eruption on the neighbouring island of La Palma sent ash and smoke into the sky.

       Cumbre Vieja straddles a ridge in the south of La Palma island and has erupted twice in the 20th century, first in 1949 then again in 1971.

       The eruption came after a week of seismic activity that has seen around a thousand people evacuated from their homes.

       THOUSANDS OF TREMORS

       A 3.8 magnitude quake was recorded before the eruption as vibrations from the seismic activity were felt on the surface.

       Roads were closed due to the explosion and authorities urged the curious not to approach the area.

       La Palma has a population of 85,000 and is one of eight islands in Spain's Canary Islands.

       Last week Spain's National Geographic Institute said it detected 4,222 tremors in what scientists are calling an earthquake swarm around La Palma island since last Saturday.

       An earthquake swarm is a cluster of quakes in one area during a short period and can indicate an approaching eruption.

       Since last Saturday, there have been almost a thousand earthquakes on the islands.

       On Tuesday, the Canary Island's regional government put the island on a yellow alert for eruption.

       The last eruption on the Canary Islands occurred underwater off the coast of El Hierro island in 2011 and that lasted five months.

       11

       11

       Hundreds of people have been forced to flee their homes on the Canary Island Credit: AFP 11

       Between 5,000 and 10,000 people are being evacuated Credit: Rex 11

       Red plumes shot out of the La Cumbre Vieja volcano Credit: AP 11

       Thousands of people have been evacuated Credit: AFP 11

       Smoke and ash began pouring into the sky forcing Brits to flee their homes Credit: EPA

       Brits flee Canary Island after volcano eruption forces 5,000 to evacuate

       We pay for your stories!

       Do you have a story for The Sun news desk?

       Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 02077824104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours

       Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.