La Palma volcano eruption forces 5,000 to be evacuated as lava pours and ashes rise

Burning lava from a volcano which erupted on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma has destroyed dozens of houses as it streamed through villages towards the coast.

Around 500 tourists were among the 5,000 people who were evacuated from the path of the molten lava which poured in rivers towards houses and hotels in villages in the Cumbre Vieja national park in the south of the island.

Sergio Rodriguez, mayor of El Paso said: “It is unstoppable, we can do absolutely nothing other than to follow up so that there is no greater damage than we already know there will be”.