La Palma's airport reopens but flights cancelled as volcano eruption continues

LA PALMA: The airport on the Spanish island of La Palma reopened on Sunday although flights remained cancelled as the volcano continued to spew lava and emit ash clouds over the surrounding area a week after it erupted.

Experts said on Sunday there were currently two active lava flows, one fast-moving flow to the north and a slower one to the south.

"We have a flow to the north that is moving quickly... this lava comes from more interior areas of the crater and its temperature is about 1,250 degrees," said Miguel Angel Morcuende, director of volcano response committee Pevolca, told a news conference on Sunday.

Reuters drone footage showed a rapid river of red hot lava flowing down the slopes of the crater, passing close to homes, and swathes of land and buildings engulfed by a black mass of slower-moving, older lava.

Morcuende said people who had been evacuated from Tacande de Arriba, Tacande de Abajo and Tajuya would be able to return to their homes.

Spain's airport operator Aena said the airport had reopened after teams cleared ash off the runway. But Binter, the Canary Island airline saying it will keep flights cancelled today because of the conditions.

"The ash cloud originating from the volcanic eruption makes it necessary to maintain the temporary stoppage of flights to La Palma... The flights scheduled for today have been cancelled," it said in a statement. "The stoppage will continue until conditions improve and allow flying, guaranteeing safety."