La Palma has been shaken by several small earthquakes as a new volcano vent opened up days after the first eruption at the Cumbre Vieja ridge. Parts of the small Spanish Island have been covered with lava, as rivers of molten rock flow towards the ocean.

       Thousands of tourists and residents have been evacuated from homes and hotels on La Palma, over concerns of lava and acidic steam created in a recent eruption.

       The latest eruption happened from a new volcano vent 3,000 feet north of the Cumbre Vieja ridge.

       This vent was blown open on September 21 causing lava to flow towards the ocean.

       Fortunately, a series of several small earthquakes alerted Spanish authorities that an eruption was likely.

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       The area had been on high alert as more than 22,000 tremors were recorded in the space of just one week.

       More than 6,000 have been evacuated from the Island so far., including those living and staying in four villages such as El Paso, close to the new crack.

       Temporary shelters have been set up to house those displaced by the eruption.

       Hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed by ash and lava.

       This devastating eruption is the first to happen in the Canary Islands for 50 years.

       The EU Copernicus rapid mapping service has revealed the staggering spread of the lava across the island.

       Although the lava hasn’t flowed particularly fast, it has spread across largely unpopulated areas of the island, as it heads towards the Atlantic Ocean.

       According to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, the lava with a temperature of more than 1,000C flowed at a staggering 700 metres per hour initially.

       It has since slowed and has yet to meet the sea.

       But experts warn the lava could trigger a chemical reaction, causing explosions and the creation of toxic gases when it reaches the sea.

       EU Copernicus revealed a new map from last night which showed that the lava has covered 154.4 hectares.

       Using COSMO-SkyMed radar imagery, they have produced an updated map which shows at least 320 buildings have been destroyed.

       The President of La Palma, Mariano Hernandez, urged people to stay away.

       He described the scene as “bleak" and said a wall of lava six metres high "is consuming houses, infrastructure [and] crops in its path to the coast”.