La Palma volcano spurts again as lava nears the sea

A screengrab from a drone footage shows lava flowing following the eruption of a volcano in the Cumbre Vieja park, on the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain September 26, 2021. REUTERS TV via REUTERS

LA PALMA, Spain (Reuters) -A volcano on Spain's La Palma island began ejecting lava again on Monday after a lull, while hundreds of people in coastal villages hunkered down in anticipation of lava emitted in previous days reaching the sea and releasing toxic gas.

Spurts of vivid lava emerged from the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the early evening and snaked down the dark mountainside after a period of several hours without explosions, according to Reuters witnesses.