They plan to lift the first evacuations on La Palma next Monday
The steering committee of the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Assistance for Volcanic Risk in the Canary Islands (Pevolca) has agreed, after listening to the scientific committee, begin to lift evacuations next Monday in various areas of the affected municipalities, located in the north of the coladas and at some point in the south, after the detailed studies carried out and provided that the current conditions for the integrity of the people are maintained.
So next Monday, you could lift the evacuation order in the area that goes from the Tacande area to Espigón street; Marina Alta and Marina Baja; part of Las Martelas and the El Charco area.
During the next three days the gas measurement work will continue and the works to guarantee the good condition of the houses, and if the conditions are good on Sunday, the steering committee will consider the evacuation order in these areas to be finalized, which will pass to be as in the pre-eruptive phase.
Therefore, said relocation could be reversed, according to the spokesperson of the scientific committee, María José Blanco, who indicated that it will be conditioned to the evolution of the situation.
In this regard, the neighbors are asked to be attentive to the indications of the authorities and personnel of the emergency device.
The technical director of Pevolca, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, reiterated that the danger due to the existence of gases remains and insisted that, when the evacuated areas can be accessed, people must always be accompanied and ventilate the homes, while emphasized that it is not necessary to enter underground areas such as semi-buried warehouses or garages.
The meeting also addressed the dangers that still exist after the eruption, pointed out by the scientific staff.
Thus, there remain different dangers associated with volcanic activity - gases, eruptive centers and flows, spikes in seismicity or accumulation of pyroclasts - that require monitoring.
Likewise, the radius of affection of these dangers is very dynamic and will depend on the evolution of each one of them in the post-eruptive phase, for which they will be periodically reviewed according to the exposed population.
POSITIVE RESULTS IN THE LAGOON
During the steering committee, the lava removal work was also analyzed at the La Laguna crossing, in the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane, where the results have been favorable so far.
The conditions in this area are very suitable, since it is not a wash as such, but an overflow, so the results cannot be extrapolated to other areas affected by lava.
In the current post-eruptive phase, the committee meetings are held two or three times a week, a frequency that will be extended whenever the evolution of the situation so requires.
Regarding the number of people housed in hotels, there are currently 562, of which 372 are staying in Fuencaliente, 120 in Breña Baja and 70 in Los Llanos de Aridane, managed by the Red Cross and municipal services.
The meeting also agreed to reopen some trails on the island, access to which had been closed after the eruption, as there is no current risk to people, and which are outside the forbidden, exclusion and evacuated zone.
In addition, during the next two days, on the occasion of the New Year's Eve and New Year's celebrations, there will be no accompaniments and this situation will be repeated on Sunday.
