BRITS have been stuck in Tenerife after flights were cancelled when ash and gasses from the La Palma volcano filled the air.
After several days of low-level activity, the Cumbre Viejo volcano suddenly sprang to life with several explosions sending a vast cloud of ash and smoke into the sky.
More than 30,000 people were ordered to remain indoors on La Palma island for several hours because of toxic gases from a volcano that has been erupting for months.
The authorities were forced to close the airport on the island and the effect of the ash and sulphur dioxide spewing out was also felt on Tenerife, around 150 miles away.
Ross Mitchell, who was stuck at Tenerife airport, tweeted that there had been a knock on effect preventing Brits getting back home.
“All fun and games here at Tenerife South Airport,” he said.
“No flights to the UK today due to the latest volcanic euruption on La Palma.
“Volcanic ash meant no Jet2 flights could travel from the UK therefore no return flights for us.”
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Another stranded passenger Emma Hall wrote: “To anyone else stuck in Tenerife today due to @Jet2tweets flight cancellations due to the volcanic ash cloud, we are all being taken to a hotel for the night.”
In a statement to passengers on its Jet2holidays said: “We are sorry to tell you that due to the recent volcanic activity on La Palma Island in the Canaries, your flight today has been delayed.
“Please do not travel to the airport. We are working on the situation and we will update you as soon as we can.”
More than 7,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since the volcano erupted on September 19, spewing out rivers of red-hot 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.
The eruption is the longest on the Spanish Canary Island since records began in 1500.
It appears that after Monday’s emission of dense toxic clouds of sulphur dioxide, seismic activity stopped on the volcano for the longest period since the initial eruption.
That’s led to a glimmer of hope that the eruption might be coming to an end.
It could also signify there is simply a blockage in underground magma chambers, in which case pressure would continue to build up until reaching critical mass and causing new explosions.
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