LOS LLANOS DE ARIDANE, Spain, Dec 13, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Spain on Monday 
ordered more than 30,000 people to remain indoors on La Palma island because 
of toxic gases from a volcano that has been erupting for months. 

   After several days of low-level activity, the Cumbre Viejo suddenly sprang 
to life on Sunday with several explosions sending a vast cloud of ash and 
smoke into the sky. 

   The regional government of the Canary Islands, which lie off Africa's 
northwest coast, ordered residents of three municipalities to lockdown owing 
to high levels of sulphur dioxide in the air. 

   The three municipalities are home to roughly 33,000 people, or 38 percent 
of the population of the island, according to national statistics institute 
INE. 

   "Close the doors, windows, shutters and prevent any air coming in from the 
outside," the regional government said in a statement. 

   "Confine yourself, if possible, in the rooms located furthest inside." 

   The authorities also recommended that people turn off air conditioning and 
heating and use tape to seal doors and windows. 

   "If you find yourself outside, be aware that a car is not a safe place and 
confine yourself to the first building you find," the statement said. 

   More than 7,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since the 
volcano erupted on September 19, spewing out rivers of lava that have slowly 
crept towards the sea. 

   Nobody has died as a result of the eruptions, but more than 2,800 
buildings have been destroyed, according to EU monitoring service Copernicus. 

   This is La Palma's longest eruption and the third in a century, with 
previous ones in 1949 and 1971.