Volcano eruption ravages La Palma island of Spain

Spain: Buildings near the volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma were covered by streams of lava early on Saturday, with the drama of the intense eruption strengthened by the spectacle of lightning.

The magma damaged at least 4 buildings in the village of Callejon de la Gata, witnesses told.

There were a set of 37 seismic shifts on Saturday, the most extensive measuring 4.1, the Spanish National Geological Institute said.

Since the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on September 19, it has destroyed nearly 1,150 buildings and swallowed up 480 hectares (1,190 acres) of land, the European Commission's Copernicus emergency management service tweeted on Saturday.

Around 6,000 people were evacuated from their homes in La Palma, which is one of the Atlantic Canary Islands with a population of around 83,000.

Lightning was seen near the eruption first on Saturday. A study issued in 2016 by the journal Geophysical Research Letters discovered that lightning can be produced while volcanic eruptions because the impact of ash particles produces an electrical charge. Airlines serving the Canary Islands have been urged to load additional fuel in case planes have to shift course or delay arrival because of the ash, said a spokesperson from Enaire, who controls navigation in the Spanish airspace.

La Palma airport has been closed since Thursday due to the ash, Spanish airline operator Aena (AENA.MC) said, but other airports in the archipelago remained open.