Lava flows towards the sea on the Canary Island of La Palma amid earthquakes

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Lava currents continued to create paths of destruction on La Palma as they headed toward the sea.

Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Sunday afternoon after local residents experienced more than 20,000 tremors since 9/11.

The eruption of the volcano, on one of the Canary Islands off the Moroccan coast, is the first time in 50 years that Cumbre Vieja has spewed lava.

National Geographic said the lava fountains reached a height of up to 5,000 feet – nearly twice the height of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper.

Since the volcano erupted, rivers of lava have been moving downhill through La Palma’s countryside toward the more densely populated coast, scorching everything they come in contact with, while earthquakes continue on the island.

Lava at temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius was still pouring at 700 meters (2,300 feet) per hour on Monday, according to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute.

On Tuesday, officials said a river of lava was hitting the Todoc neighborhood, where more than 1,000 people live and where emergency services are preparing for evacuations.

The lava has so far covered 106 hectares (about 260 acres) of land, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Earth Monitoring Programme, formerly known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).

About 6,000 people have been evacuated on La Palma – an island of about 85,000 people – so far and 183 homes have been damaged, government spokeswoman Isabel Rodriguez said after a cabinet meeting in Madrid.

No deaths or injuries were reported. Firefighters were also seen evacuating animals such as goats.

Four villages, including El Paso and Los Llanos de Arridan, have been evacuated, with shelters established for the displaced population.

Fernando Diaz, a municipal employee in El Paso said: “The reality is that seeing people lose their property is a tragedy.

For the lucky ones, they will have some peace of mind knowing that their homes have not been affected. This doubt is complicated.”

La Palma president Mariano Hernandez urged people to stay away from the island, describing the scenes of devastation as “bleak”.

The head of the regional government of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torres, said the authorities would request financial assistance from the European Union to help rebuild.

He said the damage had already amounted to well over 340 million pounds (400 million euros), meaning the island was eligible for emergency aid from the European Union.

Mr. Torres described the area as a “disaster area” and said he would ask for money to rebuild water supply networks and roads and create temporary accommodation for families who have lost their homes, farmland and livelihoods.

Authorities said the speed of the lava streams appeared to have slowed and they did not expect them to reach the Atlantic Ocean before Wednesday at the earliest, according to Spanish news agency Europa Press.

Scientists have warned that when a lava flow – which can last for weeks or months – reaches the sea, it can cause explosions and produce clouds of toxic gases.

The Institute of Volcanology said the volcano emits between 8,000 and 10,500 tons of sulfur dioxide per day.

“There is still no scientific answer as to how long the La Palma eruption will last,” said Diana Morant, Spain’s Minister of Science and Innovation.

But she added that analysis of the lava and gases indicated that it could last between one and three weeks.

The last underwater eruption of the Canary Islands off the coast of El Hierro Island in 2011 lasted five months.

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