No one knew the man’s name when he washed ashore. His body had floated in the ocean for weeks, and it then sat much of the summer unidentified in a refrigerator in a Spanish morgue.

He was one among thousands lost at sea during what has been a record year for migrant drownings in Spain. And he might have been sent with the other unclaimed dead to an unmarked grave if Martín Zamora had not figured out that the body had a name, and a life.

He was Achraf Ameer, 27, a mechanic from Tangier. He had been missing for weeks when Zamora reached his family by WhatsApp. He had found their son’s body. He could bring it to them in Morocco, for a price.

“Sometimes, I get the feeling that some years ahead — in 30, 40, 50 years, I don’t know how many — they will look at us like monsters,” he said. “They’ll see us all as monsters because we just let people die this way.”

Zamora, a 61-year-old father of seven, is the owner of Southern Funeral Assistance, a mortuary in Algeciras. But in this port city where the lights of Morocco can be seen across the Mediterranean, he has become more than that. Zamora is the body collector of those who don’t make it to Spain alive.

Zamora, who says he has repatriated more than 800 bodies in two decades, has forged a business model like few others. He wrestles with municipal officials to hand over bodies so he can embalm them. He works contacts with smugglers to find the people the remains belong to, and has made scores of trips to make contact with them, his last, to Morocco, in the month before the pandemic.

For families who had given up their loved ones as missing, Zamora’s work can offer a kind of closure they had lost all hope for.

But his services come at a steep cost — he charges $3,500 or more to get a body home. No Spanish agency will pay for what he does, and the profit margins of the work are low, he says. And so it leaves him in the gray zone, not uncommon in border towns like this, between the will to do good and the need to make a living.

“My next worry is finding the money,” Zamora said. “The family has nothing.”

Spain is witnessing a devastating procession of migrants drowning at sea.

During the first six months of the year, 2,087 people died or went missing trying to make it to the country’s shores, including 341 women and 91 children, according to Caminando Fronteras, a nongovernmental group that tracks the deaths. The International Organization for Migration, a United Nations body that keeps a more conservative count, has recorded more than 1,300 deaths so far this year.

Helena Maleno Garzón, who heads Caminando Fronteras, said Spain’s situation was especially perilous because it is the only European country with smuggling routes on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. “These include some of the most dangerous routes which are now being used,” she said.

Dozens of boats have gone down this year near the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off West Africa. In May, others perished swimming around a border fence that extends into the sea at Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa encircled by Morocco.

Migrant boats also are tempted by the narrowness of the Gibraltar Strait, only 9 miles wide in one section, despite strong currents that sink many boats. Some drown only hours after leaving Africa, their bodies later washing ashore on beaches in Spain’s southern region of Andalusia.

The Spanish media sometimes carry stories about the latest bodies. Then, when the headlines recede, Zamora’s work begins.

The World We Live In

The body is the mystery. The clothes are often the only clues.

“It can be hard to identify someone’s face,” Zamora said. “But a shoe, a jersey, a T-shirt — suddenly a family member will recognize it, because it once was a gift.”

His first clue came in 1999, when he found a note inside the clothes of a dead Moroccan man. Back then, the government was outsourcing to funeral homes the job of burying unclaimed remains in a field alongside the local cemetery.

Zamora was on call when that body and 15 others were discovered on the beaches. He brought the corpses back to his mortuary and discovered the damp note with a phone number in Spain.

He called and a man on the other end of the line claimed to know nothing. But a few days later, Zamora recalled, the same man called back and admitted he was the brother-in-law of the young man who had drowned.

“I told him, ‘I’ll make you a deal: I’ll charge you half the price to get the body home, but you have to help me look for the rest of the families,’” Zamora said.

The man agreed to guide him to the region in southeastern Morocco where his brother-in-law had lived. Zamora first took care of the body of the young man, embalming it and sending it back to Morocco. Then he got permission from a local judge to take the clothes of the other dead migrants to Morocco.

Zamora and the relative went from village to village, carrying a large rack on which they hung the clothes of the dead migrants, along with rings and other personal effects, which they took to markets where they knew people would go.

After two weeks they had identified the remaining 15 relatives and repatriated every body.

Zamora realized he had a solution to what had been seen as a lost cause in Spain. Yet it costs thousands of euros to repatriate the bodies. And the families that he was meeting had far less than he did.

“You find the family, you get the father and the mother, they take you to where they live and you see it’s a tin shack on the side of a mountain with two goats and a rooster, and they tell you they want their son back,” he said. “What do you do? Be a businessman or be sentimental?”

Mohammed El Mkaddem, an imam at the mosque in Algeciras which makes collections for the families of the dead, said he understood Zamora’s constraints. “In the end, they run a funeral home and it’s a business,” said the imam. “But they do what they can, and we’re thankful for it.”

José Manuel Castillo, the director of the city morgue in Algeciras, said Zamora filled a gap left by the authorities. “Someone has to take care of the paperwork and the repatriation of the bodies, and if it’s Martín Zamora, that is great,” he said.

Even in the heat of southern Spain, Zamora wears a tie and loafers, looking more like a lawyer than an undertaker. On a recent afternoon, he was working on a body with his son, Martín Jr., 17.

“They found him in his work clothes,” Martín Jr. said of the corpse. “Maybe he went straight from work into the boat.”

The boy wandered off for a moment, and Zamora began to speak, almost to himself. His son was 15 the first time they worked together, after a boat carrying 40 people capsized off the coast of Barbate, just north of Algeciras, leaving 22 dead.

He was afraid his son would have nightmares, but Martín Jr. wanted to work, he said.

“No father wants his son to see these things,” Zamora said. “But this is the world we live in.”

A Mechanic From Tangier

Just before the summer, Zamora said he received a WhatsApp message from a man who identified himself as Yusef and said he worked at a mosque in the city of La Linea, across the border from the Rock of Gibraltar.

“There were two boys we don’t know if they are alive or dead — surely they are dead,” began the voice message. “The family was looking everywhere and I said we would ask someone we know who is involved in this kind of thing.”

The next message contained a picture of three men in a dinghy with homemade life vests, taken moments before they left Morocco. One was Achraf Ameer, the illiterate mechanic from Tangier.

With that, Zamora contacted the local authorities, who had a body in the morgue. They gave Zamora’s photographs of the man’s clothes, and Zamora — helped by Yusef — located Ameer’s sister in Tangier and showed her a photo of the clothes. These days, Zamora rarely needs to make the trips to Morocco that he used to, making identifications from afar.

“The paint on his clothes was the paint he has on his clothes at work,” the sister, Soukaina Ameer, 28, said in a telephone interview from Tangier.

She said her brother had tried once before to cross into Spain, only to be deported. This time, he didn’t tell anyone but left cryptic hints when the family began making plans to move to a new home.

“He was always telling us: ‘I won’t be living with you in the new house,’” Soukaina Ameer recalled.

He left on April 13, she said, his boat likely sinking the same night. His body floated in the sea for much of April before it came ashore around the end of the month. For the rest of the spring and part of the summer, it was placed in a morgue, where it deteriorated from not being frozen.

And so on a sweltering day, Zamora loaded Achraf Ameer’s body into his hearse and, with his son, drove past pines and sunflower fields. The body was wrapped in blankets from the Red Cross, which had found him. A hospital tag was affixed to one leg. At the mortuary, Zamora and his son arrived dressed in hazmat suits and began embalming.

Ten pumps from a long needle into Ameer’s shoulder. Another 10 into his chest. After an hour, Zamora wrapped the body in a shroud which he covered in a green cloak and sprinkled it with dried flowers, re-creating a Muslim rite that an imam had once shown him. Then he shut the lid on the coffin and he and his son took off their hazmat suits. The two were covered in sweat.

In the adjoining room sat stacks of case files, people whose bodies Zamora was still trying to locate after their relatives had gotten in touch with him. There was an Algerian man, born in 1986. There were two Moroccans who had been lost at sea; and a Syrian man, who once had a wife and lived in Aleppo.

And there was a ringing from the other room, and with it, another possible lead.

“Martín, go get my phone,” Zamora said to his son, taking off his gloves.

No one knew the man’s name when he washed ashore. His body had floated in the ocean for weeks, and it then sat much of the summer unidentified in a refrigerator in a Spanish morgue.

No one knew the man’s name when he washed ashore. His body had floated in the ocean for weeks, and it then sat much of the summer unidentified in a refrigerator in a Spanish morgue. He was one among thousands lost at sea during what has been a record year for migrant drownings in Spain. And he might have been sent with the other unclaimed dead to an unmarked grave if Martín Zamora had not figured out that the body had a name, and a life. He was Achraf Ameer, 27, a mechanic from Tangier. He had been missing for weeks when Zamora reached his family by WhatsApp. He had found their son’s body. He could bring it to them in Morocco, for a price. “Sometimes, I get the feeling that some years ahead — in 30, 40, 50 years, I don’t know how many — they will look at us like monsters,” he said. “They’ll see us all as monsters because we just let people die this way.” Zamora, a 61-year-old father of seven, is the owner of Southern Funeral Assistance, a mortuary in Algeciras. But in this port city where the lights of Morocco can be seen across the Mediterranean, he has become more than that. Zamora is the body collector of those who don’t make it to Spain alive. Zamora, who says he has repatriated more than 800 bodies in two decades, has forged a business model like few others. He wrestles with municipal officials to hand over bodies so he can embalm them. He works contacts with smugglers to find the people the remains belong to, and has made scores of trips to make contact with them, his last, to Morocco, in the month before the pandemic. For families who had given up their loved ones as missing, Zamora’s work can offer a kind of closure they had lost all hope for. But his services come at a steep cost — he charges $3,500 or more to get a body home. No Spanish agency will pay for what he does, and the profit margins of the work are low, he says. And so it leaves him in the gray zone, not uncommon in border towns like this, between the will to do good and the need to make a living. “My next worry is finding the money,” Zamora said. “The family has nothing.” Spain is witnessing a devastating procession of migrants drowning at sea. During the first six months of the year, 2,087 people died or went missing trying to make it to the country’s shores, including 341 women and 91 children, according to Caminando Fronteras, a nongovernmental group that tracks the deaths. The International Organization for Migration, a United Nations body that keeps a more conservative count, has recorded more than 1,300 deaths so far this year. Helena Maleno Garzón, who heads Caminando Fronteras, said Spain’s situation was especially perilous because it is the only European country with smuggling routes on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. “These include some of the most dangerous routes which are now being used,” she said. Dozens of boats have gone down this year near the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off West Africa. In May, others perished swimming around a border fence that extends into the sea at Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa encircled by Morocco. Migrant boats also are tempted by the narrowness of the Gibraltar Strait, only 9 miles wide in one section, despite strong currents that sink many boats. Some drown only hours after leaving Africa, their bodies later washing ashore on beaches in Spain’s southern region of Andalusia. The Spanish media sometimes carry stories about the latest bodies. Then, when the headlines recede, Zamora’s work begins. The World We Live In The body is the mystery. The clothes are often the only clues. “It can be hard to identify someone’s face,” Zamora said. “But a shoe, a jersey, a T-shirt — suddenly a family member will recognize it, because it once was a gift.” His first clue came in 1999, when he found a note inside the clothes of a dead Moroccan man. Back then, the government was outsourcing to funeral homes the job of burying unclaimed remains in a field alongside the local cemetery. Zamora was on call when that body and 15 others were discovered on the beaches. He brought the corpses back to his mortuary and discovered the damp note with a phone number in Spain. He called and a man on the other end of the line claimed to know nothing. But a few days later, Zamora recalled, the same man called back and admitted he was the brother-in-law of the young man who had drowned. “I told him, ‘I’ll make you a deal: I’ll charge you half the price to get the body home, but you have to help me look for the rest of the families,’” Zamora said. The man agreed to guide him to the region in southeastern Morocco where his brother-in-law had lived. Zamora first took care of the body of the young man, embalming it and sending it back to Morocco. Then he got permission from a local judge to take the clothes of the other dead migrants to Morocco. Zamora and the relative went from village to village, carrying a large rack on which they hung the clothes of the dead migrants, along with rings and other personal effects, which they took to markets where they knew people would go. After two weeks they had identified the remaining 15 relatives and repatriated every body. Zamora realized he had a solution to what had been seen as a lost cause in Spain. Yet it costs thousands of euros to repatriate the bodies. And the families that he was meeting had far less than he did. “You find the family, you get the father and the mother, they take you to where they live and you see it’s a tin shack on the side of a mountain with two goats and a rooster, and they tell you they want their son back,” he said. “What do you do? Be a businessman or be sentimental?” Mohammed El Mkaddem, an imam at the mosque in Algeciras which makes collections for the families of the dead, said he understood Zamora’s constraints. “In the end, they run a funeral home and it’s a business,” said the imam. “But they do what they can, and we’re thankful for it.” José Manuel Castillo, the director of the city morgue in Algeciras, said Zamora filled a gap left by the authorities. “Someone has to take care of the paperwork and the repatriation of the bodies, and if it’s Martín Zamora, that is great,” he said. Even in the heat of southern Spain, Zamora wears a tie and loafers, looking more like a lawyer than an undertaker. On a recent afternoon, he was working on a body with his son, Martín Jr., 17. “They found him in his work clothes,” Martín Jr. said of the corpse. “Maybe he went straight from work into the boat.” The boy wandered off for a moment, and Zamora began to speak, almost to himself. His son was 15 the first time they worked together, after a boat carrying 40 people capsized off the coast of Barbate, just north of Algeciras, leaving 22 dead. He was afraid his son would have nightmares, but Martín Jr. wanted to work, he said. “No father wants his son to see these things,” Zamora said. “But this is the world we live in.” A Mechanic From Tangier Just before the summer, Zamora said he received a WhatsApp message from a man who identified himself as Yusef and said he worked at a mosque in the city of La Linea, across the border from the Rock of Gibraltar. “There were two boys we don’t know if they are alive or dead — surely they are dead,” began the voice message. “The family was looking everywhere and I said we would ask someone we know who is involved in this kind of thing.” The next message contained a picture of three men in a dinghy with homemade life vests, taken moments before they left Morocco. One was Achraf Ameer, the illiterate mechanic from Tangier. With that, Zamora contacted the local authorities, who had a body in the morgue. They gave Zamora’s photographs of the man’s clothes, and Zamora — helped by Yusef — located Ameer’s sister in Tangier and showed her a photo of the clothes. These days, Zamora rarely needs to make the trips to Morocco that he used to, making identifications from afar. “The paint on his clothes was the paint he has on his clothes at work,” the sister, Soukaina Ameer, 28, said in a telephone interview from Tangier. She said her brother had tried once before to cross into Spain, only to be deported. This time, he didn’t tell anyone but left cryptic hints when the family began making plans to move to a new home. “He was always telling us: ‘I won’t be living with you in the new house,’” Soukaina Ameer recalled. He left on April 13, she said, his boat likely sinking the same night. His body floated in the sea for much of April before it came ashore around the end of the month. For the rest of the spring and part of the summer, it was placed in a morgue, where it deteriorated from not being frozen. And so on a sweltering day, Zamora loaded Achraf Ameer’s body into his hearse and, with his son, drove past pines and sunflower fields. The body was wrapped in blankets from the Red Cross, which had found him. A hospital tag was affixed to one leg. At the mortuary, Zamora and his son arrived dressed in hazmat suits and began embalming. Ten pumps from a long needle into Ameer’s shoulder. Another 10 into his chest. After an hour, Zamora wrapped the body in a shroud which he covered in a green cloak and sprinkled it with dried flowers, re-creating a Muslim rite that an imam had once shown him. Then he shut the lid on the coffin and he and his son took off their hazmat suits. The two were covered in sweat. In the adjoining room sat stacks of case files, people whose bodies Zamora was still trying to locate after their relatives had gotten in touch with him. There was an Algerian man, born in 1986. There were two Moroccans who had been lost at sea; and a Syrian man, who once had a wife and lived in Aleppo. And there was a ringing from the other room, and with it, another possible lead. “Martín, go get my phone,” Zamora said to his son, taking off his gloves.

The body collector of Spain: When migrants die at sea, he gets them home

It is 2021 and some people still find it hard to believe that there can be more than two genders, and a gynaecologist in Spain seems to be one of these people.

A woman visited the Reina Sofía hospital in the city of Murcia for a check-up. When she was handed over the report, a piece of paper read "Current illness: homosexual".

This 'diagnosis' left the girl and her mother shocked. "At first, I thought it was funny, but it just isn't," the 19-year-old woman said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/diversity-spaces-germany-reserves-parking-spots-for-lgbt-community-and-migrants-417550">'Diversity spaces': Germany reserves parking spots for LGBT community and migrants</a>

The mother-daughter duo lodged a formal complaint with the Murcia's regional government, the regional health ministry, and the regional health service with the help of local LGBT collective, Galactyco.

It has been alleged that the doctor still views homosexuality as an illness, which is now not only illegal but also defies human rights.

"The World Health Organization&nbsp;removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses in 1990, and yet, 31 years on, there are still some professionals in Murcia’s health service who view sexual orientation as an illness,"&nbsp;Galactyco said in&nbsp;a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-locals-send-record-100000-submissions-to-ban-lgbt-conversion-practices-413343">New Zealand locals send record 100,000 submissions to ban LGBT conversion practices</a>

Highlighting the discrimination, violence and the denigrating treatment that the LGTBQ community face on a daily basis because of such mindset, the group said it is seeking an explanation and an apology from the doctor and the hospital.

"Given that for centuries this error involved stigmatizing, discriminatory, violent and denigrating treatment towards all people whose sexual orientation was different from heterosexuality, from this group we publicly denounce the manifest ignorance with lgtbiphobic overtones that involves relating sexual orientation with disease," the statement read. "Likewise, we accuse the Regional Government of Murcia, the Ministry of Health, and the Murcian Health System, of institutional neglect to apply Law 8/2016 of May 27, of social equality of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, transgender and intersex, and public policies against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, which after 5 years passed remains as a legislative ornament."

The group has sent letters to the Ministry and the SMS demanding apology and have also asked that all employees be trained with proper information and sensitivity on homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality and intersexuality.

It is 2021 and some people still find it hard to believe that there can be more than two genders, and a gynaecologist in Spain seems to be one of these people. A woman visited the Reina Sofía hospital in the city of Murcia for a check-up.

It is 2021 and some people still find it hard to believe that there can be more than two genders, and a gynaecologist in Spain seems to be one of these people. A woman visited the Reina Sofía hospital in the city of Murcia for a check-up. When she was handed over the report, a piece of paper read "Current illness: homosexual". This 'diagnosis' left the girl and her mother shocked. "At first, I thought it was funny, but it just isn't," the 19-year-old woman said. Also read | 'Diversity spaces': Germany reserves parking spots for LGBT community and migrants The mother-daughter duo lodged a formal complaint with the Murcia's regional government, the regional health ministry, and the regional health service with the help of local LGBT collective, Galactyco. It has been alleged that the doctor still views homosexuality as an illness, which is now not only illegal but also defies human rights. "The World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses in 1990, and yet, 31 years on, there are still some professionals in Murcia’s health service who view sexual orientation as an illness," Galactyco said in a statement. Also read | New Zealand locals send record 100,000 submissions to ban LGBT conversion practices Highlighting the discrimination, violence and the denigrating treatment that the LGTBQ community face on a daily basis because of such mindset, the group said it is seeking an explanation and an apology from the doctor and the hospital. "Given that for centuries this error involved stigmatizing, discriminatory, violent and denigrating treatment towards all people whose sexual orientation was different from heterosexuality, from this group we publicly denounce the manifest ignorance with lgtbiphobic overtones that involves relating sexual orientation with disease," the statement read. "Likewise, we accuse the Regional Government of Murcia, the Ministry of Health, and the Murcian Health System, of institutional neglect to apply Law 8/2016 of May 27, of social equality of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, transgender and intersex, and public policies against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, which after 5 years passed remains as a legislative ornament." The group has sent letters to the Ministry and the SMS demanding apology and have also asked that all employees be trained with proper information and sensitivity on homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality and intersexuality.

Spanish doctor writes 'current illness: homosexual' for a gay woman

Spain will provide 206 million euros ($239 million) to help the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands recover from its volcanic eruption, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday. Watch this report for more details.

Spain's PM Sanchez announces recovery aid worth $239 million

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday.&nbsp;

Some 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July, the highest figure since April 2020, in the early months of the coronavirus crisis, the World Tourism Organization said in a statement.

That represented an increase of 58 percent compared with the level recorded in July 2020, but was still a drop of 67 per cent from the 164 million recorded in July 2019.&nbsp;

"This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas&nbsp;coupled with progress made in the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines" which contributed to "gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world," it said.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-to-discontinue-compulsory-10-day-quarantine-rule-417795" hreflang="en">UK set to discontinue compulsory 10-day quarantine rule</a>

"Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80 per cent in January-July compared to 2019," said the Madrid-based organisation.&nbsp;

In the first seven months of the year, Asia and the Pacific continued to see the steepest declines, with a drop of 95 percent in international arrivals, followed by the Middle East where numbers were down 82 per cent, Europe and Africa, which registered a fall of 77 per cent, and the Americas which sustained a drop 68 per cent.

Only a few small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, alongside several small European destinations recovered and counted arrivals close to, or even higher, than pre-pandemic levels.&nbsp;

Spain, which before the pandemic was the world's second most popular tourist destination, on Monday said it welcomed 15 million tourists in the first eight months of the year, a decline of 4.2 percent from the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-tightens-travel-rules-as-covid-spreads-417811" hreflang="en">New Zealand tightens travel rules as Covid spreads</a>

The data cast doubt on the objective set by the Spanish government of attracting some 45 million foreign visitors this year, around half the number of 2019.

"The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remains on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel," UNWTO head Zurab Pololikashvili in the statement.

The UN body said it was expecting to see a "rebound" in 2022 although global tourism is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024.&nbsp;

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday.

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday. Some 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July, the highest figure since April 2020, in the early months of the coronavirus crisis, the World Tourism Organization said in a statement. That represented an increase of 58 percent compared with the level recorded in July 2020, but was still a drop of 67 per cent from the 164 million recorded in July 2019. "This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas coupled with progress made in the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines" which contributed to "gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world," it said. Also Read: UK set to discontinue compulsory 10-day quarantine rule "Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80 per cent in January-July compared to 2019," said the Madrid-based organisation. In the first seven months of the year, Asia and the Pacific continued to see the steepest declines, with a drop of 95 percent in international arrivals, followed by the Middle East where numbers were down 82 per cent, Europe and Africa, which registered a fall of 77 per cent, and the Americas which sustained a drop 68 per cent. Only a few small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, alongside several small European destinations recovered and counted arrivals close to, or even higher, than pre-pandemic levels. Spain, which before the pandemic was the world's second most popular tourist destination, on Monday said it welcomed 15 million tourists in the first eight months of the year, a decline of 4.2 percent from the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute said. Also Read: New Zealand tightens travel rules as Covid spreads The data cast doubt on the objective set by the Spanish government of attracting some 45 million foreign visitors this year, around half the number of 2019. "The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remains on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel," UNWTO head Zurab Pololikashvili in the statement. The UN body said it was expecting to see a "rebound" in 2022 although global tourism is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024.

World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels

Spain will provide 206 million euros ($239 million) to help the island of La Palma recover from its volcanic eruption, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday.

"Next Tuesday, the cabinet will approve a package of very powerful measures" to assist in areas such as infrastructure reconstruction, water supply, employment, agriculture and tourism, he told a news conference during a visit to the island.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano began its eruption on Sept. 19 and has destroyed more than 900 buildings. About 6,000 people have been evacuated from homes on the island out of a population of about 83,000.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-fissures-erupt-in-canary-islands-volcano-417900">Also read |&nbsp;New fissures erupt in Canary Islands volcano</a>

The financial package is the second stage of a plan approved last week. The first stage saw the government announce aid of 10.5 million euros ($12.3 million) for the immediate assistance of those who had lost their homes.

"I would like to convey all the solidarity of the Spanish people. Today, Spain is with La Palma residents more than ever," Sanchez said.

Spain will provide 206 million euros ($239 million) to help the island of La Palma recover from its volcanic eruption, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday.

Spain will provide 206 million euros ($239 million) to help the island of La Palma recover from its volcanic eruption, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday. "Next Tuesday, the cabinet will approve a package of very powerful measures" to assist in areas such as infrastructure reconstruction, water supply, employment, agriculture and tourism, he told a news conference during a visit to the island. The Cumbre Vieja volcano began its eruption on Sept. 19 and has destroyed more than 900 buildings. About 6,000 people have been evacuated from homes on the island out of a population of about 83,000. Also read | New fissures erupt in Canary Islands volcano The financial package is the second stage of a plan approved last week. The first stage saw the government announce aid of 10.5 million euros ($12.3 million) for the immediate assistance of those who had lost their homes. "I would like to convey all the solidarity of the Spanish people. Today, Spain is with La Palma residents more than ever," Sanchez said.

Spain's PM Sanchez pledges 206 million euros for volcano-hit La Palma

The erupting volcano on Spain’s Canary Islands has now blown open two more fissures, as the authorities report “intense” activity in the area. The new fissures are about 15 metres apart.&nbsp;

Miguel Ángel Morcuende, the technical director of the Canary Islands’ emergency volcano response department said that the Cumbre Vieja volcano was “much more aggressive," almost two weeks after it erupted on the island of La Palma.&nbsp;

Just overnight, scientists recorded eight new earthquakes up to magnitude 3.5.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volcanic-eruption-could-last-three-months-in-spains-canary-islands-say-experts-415314">Also read |&nbsp;Volcanic eruption could last three months in Spain’s Canary Islands, say experts </a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Meanwhile, earlier the experts had warned that a volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands could last three months. According to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, the eruption on the island of La Palma and its aftermath could last for up to 84 days.&nbsp;

After looking at calculations of the length of previous eruptions on the archipelago, the institute made the assessment.&nbsp;

The residents could be at risk of more lava flows, toxic gases, earthquakes, volcanic ash and acid rain.&nbsp;

The Cumbre Vieja volcano has forced a total of 6,000 people from their homes and destroyed around 100 properties since it erupted on Sunday afternoon. &nbsp;

In a tweet, the emergency services said that "a new eruptive fissure has opened" and that the "population is being evacuated".&nbsp;

The erupting volcano on Spain’s Canary Islands has now blown open two more fissures, as the authorities report “intense” activity in the area. The new fissures are about 15 metres apart.

The erupting volcano on Spain’s Canary Islands has now blown open two more fissures, as the authorities report “intense” activity in the area. The new fissures are about 15 metres apart. Miguel Ángel Morcuende, the technical director of the Canary Islands’ emergency volcano response department said that the Cumbre Vieja volcano was “much more aggressive," almost two weeks after it erupted on the island of La Palma. Just overnight, scientists recorded eight new earthquakes up to magnitude 3.5. Also read | Volcanic eruption could last three months in Spain’s Canary Islands, say experts Meanwhile, earlier the experts had warned that a volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands could last three months. According to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, the eruption on the island of La Palma and its aftermath could last for up to 84 days. After looking at calculations of the length of previous eruptions on the archipelago, the institute made the assessment. The residents could be at risk of more lava flows, toxic gases, earthquakes, volcanic ash and acid rain. The Cumbre Vieja volcano has forced a total of 6,000 people from their homes and destroyed around 100 properties since it erupted on Sunday afternoon. In a tweet, the emergency services said that "a new eruptive fissure has opened" and that the "population is being evacuated".

New fissures erupt in Canary Islands volcano

Authorities told several thousand residents of La Palma to stay home because of worsening air quality as the erupting volcano on the Spanish island spewed red-hot lava and thick clouds of black smoke.

Emergency services issued a lockdown order on Friday night for people in Los Llanos de Aridane and El Paso, two of the worst affected towns.

"The new lockdown is as a consequence of the meteorological conditions&nbsp;that prevent the dispersion of gases and keep them at low levels of the atmosphere," emergency services said in a statement. They said the lockdown would affect around 3,500 people.

Those affected have been told to keep their doors and windows closed and to disconnect heating and air conditioning to prevent outside air from entering.

Lockdowns had already been ordered in the areas of San Borondon, Marina Alta, Marina Baja and La Condesa.

About 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since the Cumbre Vieja volcano began erupting on Sept. 19.

More than 800 buildings have been destroyed on the island, which has a population of about 83,000 and is one of an archipelago making up the Canary Islands in the Atlantic.

On Friday, lava flowed from a new went&nbsp;the volcano, which the Canaries Volcanology Institute described as a new "focus of eruption".

The volcano was experiencing "intense activity", Miguel Angel Morcuende, director of the Pevolca response committee, told a news conference on Friday. But he also put the eruption into the context of the wider island.

"Less than 8% of the island is affected by the volcano. The rest is leading a normal life," he said.

Authorities told several thousand residents of La Palma to stay home because of worsening air quality as the erupting volcano on the Spanish island spewed red-hot lava and thick clouds of black smoke.

Authorities told several thousand residents of La Palma to stay home because of worsening air quality as the erupting volcano on the Spanish island spewed red-hot lava and thick clouds of black smoke. Emergency services issued a lockdown order on Friday night for people in Los Llanos de Aridane and El Paso, two of the worst affected towns. "The new lockdown is as a consequence of the meteorological conditions that prevent the dispersion of gases and keep them at low levels of the atmosphere," emergency services said in a statement. They said the lockdown would affect around 3,500 people. Those affected have been told to keep their doors and windows closed and to disconnect heating and air conditioning to prevent outside air from entering. Lockdowns had already been ordered in the areas of San Borondon, Marina Alta, Marina Baja and La Condesa. About 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since the Cumbre Vieja volcano began erupting on Sept. 19. More than 800 buildings have been destroyed on the island, which has a population of about 83,000 and is one of an archipelago making up the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. On Friday, lava flowed from a new went the volcano, which the Canaries Volcanology Institute described as a new "focus of eruption". The volcano was experiencing "intense activity", Miguel Angel Morcuende, director of the Pevolca response committee, told a news conference on Friday. But he also put the eruption into the context of the wider island. "Less than 8% of the island is affected by the volcano. The rest is leading a normal life," he said.

La Palma volcano eruption forces stay-home order for some residents

It has been nearly two weeks, a volcano in Spain's La Palma island continues erupt even now. Lava streams have now reached the sea triggering new crisis, residents fears emission of toxic gases and more.

Spain: Lava stream now reaches Ocean; experts warn of irritation on skin, breathing difficulties

In pics | La Palma volcano reaches Atlantic Ocean, leaves behind trail of destruction

Here's the port of La Palma in Spain's Canary islands; once a bustling spot, it has now been shut for days. Boats remain docked and their owners are out of work since the volcano erupted on 19 September.

La Palma fishermen go out of work, mourn loss of livelihood and homes

Fans in Spain will be allowed from Oct. 1 to fill open-air stadiums up to full capacity and indoor facilities up to 80%, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

Fans will need to keep a distance of 1.5 meters (4.92 ft)between them and wear a face mask, and will be allowed to drink water, but not to eat or smoke.

Fans in Spain will be allowed from Oct. 1 to fill open-air stadiums up to full capacity and indoor facilities up to 80%, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Fans will need to keep a distance of 1.

Fans in Spain will be allowed from Oct. 1 to fill open-air stadiums up to full capacity and indoor facilities up to 80%, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Fans will need to keep a distance of 1.5 meters (4.92 ft)between them and wear a face mask, and will be allowed to drink water, but not to eat or smoke.

Spain allows up to 100% occupancy in outdoor sports venues

It started with minor earthquakes, then streams of lava began flowing and now there are fears of toxic gases- as the volcanic eruption in Spain's La Palma island intensifies.

Volcano on Spanish island La Palma continues to spew lava and black smoke

Lava flows from a volcano in Spain's Canary Islands were continuing to cause fires and damage houses, farmland, and infrastructure on Saturday. Almost 7,000 people have had to leave their homes. In the meantime, Pope Francis expressed solidarity with the affected people. Watch this report for more details.

Spain: Situation remains grim in Canary Islands

Emergency authorities early on Monday ordered people in an area on the eastern shore of La Palma island to lock down as the lava gushing from the Cumbre Vieja volcano approaches the sea.

The 1,250 Celsius degree lava may touch the Atlantic Ocean in the coming hours, likely causing explosions and send clouds of toxic gases over the island, the Canary Islands emergency services warned on Monday morning.

People on the coastal areas of San Borondon, Marina Alta and Baja and La Condesa were ordered to lock down.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volcanic-eruption-could-last-three-months-in-spains-canary-islands-say-experts-415314">Also read |&nbsp;Volcanic eruption could last three months in Spain’s Canary Islands, say experts &nbsp;</a>

On Monday morning after dawn, the volcano was quieter than in the previous days. Spanish TV showed lava spurting from the volcano and clouds of smoke rising above the hillside.

Since the volcano started erupting on September&nbsp;19, the flow of black lava has engulfed more than 230 hectares, the European Union satellite monitoring service Copernicus said, swallowing hundreds of houses as well as roads, schools, churches and banana plantations and forcing thousands to evacuate.

La Palma, with a population of over 83,000, is one of an archipelago making up the Canary Islands.

Emergency authorities early on Monday ordered people in an area on the eastern shore of La Palma island to lock down as the lava gushing from the Cumbre Vieja volcano approaches the sea.

Emergency authorities early on Monday ordered people in an area on the eastern shore of La Palma island to lock down as the lava gushing from the Cumbre Vieja volcano approaches the sea. The 1,250 Celsius degree lava may touch the Atlantic Ocean in the coming hours, likely causing explosions and send clouds of toxic gases over the island, the Canary Islands emergency services warned on Monday morning. People on the coastal areas of San Borondon, Marina Alta and Baja and La Condesa were ordered to lock down. Also read | Volcanic eruption could last three months in Spain’s Canary Islands, say experts On Monday morning after dawn, the volcano was quieter than in the previous days. Spanish TV showed lava spurting from the volcano and clouds of smoke rising above the hillside. Since the volcano started erupting on September 19, the flow of black lava has engulfed more than 230 hectares, the European Union satellite monitoring service Copernicus said, swallowing hundreds of houses as well as roads, schools, churches and banana plantations and forcing thousands to evacuate. La Palma, with a population of over 83,000, is one of an archipelago making up the Canary Islands.

La Palma eruptions continue as lava approaches the sea

Clouds of thick black ash from volcanic eruptions in Spain's Canaries archipelago forced the closure of the airport on&nbsp;La&nbsp;Palma&nbsp;island on Saturday, authorities said.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano came to life a week ago and has intermittently spewed out lava and ash leading to the cancellation of all seven flights on Friday.

"The airport is closed because of the accumulation of ash," said state-owned airport operator Aena.

"Clean-up operations have begun but the situation can change at any moment," it added.

More evacuations were also ordered Friday at the town of El Paso as large explosions and new openings were reported at the volcano.

"Given the increased risk for the population due to the current eruptive episode", the regional government said, an obligatory evacuation order was issued for several districts.

That pushed the number of people forced to leave their homes so far to more than 6,200, including 400 tourists.&nbsp;

The flight cancellations began on Friday.

"It is not yet possible to say when we can resume flights," Spanish carrier Binter said on Twitter.&nbsp;

According to the European Union's Copernicus Earth Observation Programme, lava has so far destroyed 420 buildings and covered more than 190 hectares (470 acres) of land. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-border-camp-cleared-of-haitians-thousands-more-on-the-move-415976">Also read |&nbsp;US border camp cleared of Haitians, thousands more on the move</a>

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced&nbsp;La&nbsp;Palma&nbsp;would be declared "a zone affected by a catastrophe" which opens financial aid to residents.&nbsp;

The speed of the lava flowing from the crater has steadily slowed in recent days, and experts hope it will not reach the coast.&nbsp;

If the molten lava pours into the sea, it can generate clouds of toxic gas into the air, also affecting the marine environment.&nbsp;

No casualties have been reported so far but the damage to land and property has been enormous, with the Canaries regional head Angel Victor Torres estimating the cost at well over 400 million euros.&nbsp;

The eruption on&nbsp;La&nbsp;Palma, home to 85,000 people, was the first in 50 years.&nbsp;

The last eruption on the island came in 1971 when another part of the same volcanic range -- a vent known as Teneguia&nbsp;-- erupted on the southern side of the island.

Two decades earlier, the Nambroque vent erupted in 1949.&nbsp;

Clouds of thick black ash from volcanic eruptions in Spain's Canaries archipelago forced the closure of the airport on La Palma island on Saturday, authorities said.

Clouds of thick black ash from volcanic eruptions in Spain's Canaries archipelago forced the closure of the airport on La Palma island on Saturday, authorities said. The Cumbre Vieja volcano came to life a week ago and has intermittently spewed out lava and ash leading to the cancellation of all seven flights on Friday. "The airport is closed because of the accumulation of ash," said state-owned airport operator Aena. "Clean-up operations have begun but the situation can change at any moment," it added. More evacuations were also ordered Friday at the town of El Paso as large explosions and new openings were reported at the volcano. "Given the increased risk for the population due to the current eruptive episode", the regional government said, an obligatory evacuation order was issued for several districts. That pushed the number of people forced to leave their homes so far to more than 6,200, including 400 tourists. The flight cancellations began on Friday. "It is not yet possible to say when we can resume flights," Spanish carrier Binter said on Twitter. According to the European Union's Copernicus Earth Observation Programme, lava has so far destroyed 420 buildings and covered more than 190 hectares (470 acres) of land. Also read | US border camp cleared of Haitians, thousands more on the move Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced La Palma would be declared "a zone affected by a catastrophe" which opens financial aid to residents. The speed of the lava flowing from the crater has steadily slowed in recent days, and experts hope it will not reach the coast. If the molten lava pours into the sea, it can generate clouds of toxic gas into the air, also affecting the marine environment. No casualties have been reported so far but the damage to land and property has been enormous, with the Canaries regional head Angel Victor Torres estimating the cost at well over 400 million euros. The eruption on La Palma, home to 85,000 people, was the first in 50 years. The last eruption on the island came in 1971 when another part of the same volcanic range -- a vent known as Teneguia -- erupted on the southern side of the island. Two decades earlier, the Nambroque vent erupted in 1949.

Eruptions shut airport on Canaries volcanic island

In Pics | Lava gushes, thousands evacuated as volcano erupts in Spain's Canary Islands

A volcano in Spain is continuing to erupt. The eruption has disrupted the farming in the region. The disruption has disturbed the normal lives of people living in the area.

Volcanic eruption disrupts normal life in Spain

In an attempt to reduce plastic waste, Spain will ban the sale of fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic from 2023, El Pais reported citing sources familiar with the initiative.&nbsp;

The supermarkets and grocery stores will be prohibited to sell plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables from 2023, mentioned&nbsp;a decree reportedly drafted by Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition.&nbsp;

The main goal of the draft decree is to reduce the sale of plastic bottles by half, and for 100% of packaging on the market to be recyclable, same sources revealed.&nbsp;

The report mentioned that the new regulation on fruits and vegetable packaging will apply to products&nbsp;weighing under 1.5kgs and also encourage the purchase of loose, unpackaged produce and the use of non-bottled water.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volcanic-eruption-could-last-three-months-in-spains-canary-islands-say-experts-415314">Volcanic eruption could last three months in Spain’s Canary Islands, say experts&nbsp;</a>

The aim was to "combat in the most effective way the overuse of packaging", a spokesperson for the Spanish government said. The Spanish media also reported that the ministry, headed by Teresa Ribera, shared the main guidelines after holding meetings with leading business associations and environmental groups. &nbsp;

The report also mentioned that the decree aims to incorporate European Union rules into Spain's legislation. Also note, that similar legislation in France will go into effect next year.&nbsp;

It can be understood that the action has been taken after pressure from environmental groups like Greenpeace to ditch packaging on fresh produce mounted.&nbsp;

Now, Julio Barea of Greenpeace has welcomed the ban on fruit and vegetable packaging but he also warned and urged to analyse exactly how the ban would be applied.&nbsp;

In an attempt to reduce plastic waste, Spain will ban the sale of fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic from 2023, El Pais reported citing sources familiar with the initiative.

In an attempt to reduce plastic waste, Spain will ban the sale of fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic from 2023, El Pais reported citing sources familiar with the initiative. The supermarkets and grocery stores will be prohibited to sell plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables from 2023, mentioned a decree reportedly drafted by Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition. The main goal of the draft decree is to reduce the sale of plastic bottles by half, and for 100% of packaging on the market to be recyclable, same sources revealed. The report mentioned that the new regulation on fruits and vegetable packaging will apply to products weighing under 1.5kgs and also encourage the purchase of loose, unpackaged produce and the use of non-bottled water. ALSO READ | Volcanic eruption could last three months in Spain’s Canary Islands, say experts The aim was to "combat in the most effective way the overuse of packaging", a spokesperson for the Spanish government said. The Spanish media also reported that the ministry, headed by Teresa Ribera, shared the main guidelines after holding meetings with leading business associations and environmental groups. The report also mentioned that the decree aims to incorporate European Union rules into Spain's legislation. Also note, that similar legislation in France will go into effect next year. It can be understood that the action has been taken after pressure from environmental groups like Greenpeace to ditch packaging on fresh produce mounted. Now, Julio Barea of Greenpeace has welcomed the ban on fruit and vegetable packaging but he also warned and urged to analyse exactly how the ban would be applied.

Spain set to ban sale of plastic-wrapped fruits and vegetables from 2023: Reports

If experts are to be believed, a volcanic eruption in Canary Islands, Spain could last three months. &nbsp;

According to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, the eruption on the island of La Palma and its aftermath could last for up to 84 days. The institute made the announcement on Wednesday. &nbsp;

Watch:

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After looking at calculations of the length of previous eruptions on the archipelago, the institute made the assessment. &nbsp;

Just like this time, the eruption was earlier followed by heavy lava flows and lasting seismic activity. &nbsp;

The residents could be at risk of more lava flows, toxic gases, earthquakes, volcanic ash and acid rain. &nbsp;

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On Tuesday night, the institute noticed a strong increase in the number of smaller eruptions that hurl rocks and cinders high into the air from the La Palma volcano. &nbsp;

Earlier, a new fissure emerged in the erupting volcano on Spain's Canary Islands, gushing out more lava and forcing another 500 people to flee, officials said on Tuesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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The Cumbre Vieja volcano has forced a total of 6,000 people from their homes and destroyed around 100 properties since it erupted on Sunday afternoon. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In a tweet, the emergency services said that "a new eruptive fissure has opened" and that the "population is being evacuated". &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

If experts are to be believed, a volcanic eruption in Canary Islands, Spain could last three months. According to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, the eruption on the island of La Palma and its aftermath could last for up to 84 days.

If experts are to be believed, a volcanic eruption in Canary Islands, Spain could last three months. According to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, the eruption on the island of La Palma and its aftermath could last for up to 84 days. The institute made the announcement on Wednesday. Watch: × After looking at calculations of the length of previous eruptions on the archipelago, the institute made the assessment. Just like this time, the eruption was earlier followed by heavy lava flows and lasting seismic activity. The residents could be at risk of more lava flows, toxic gases, earthquakes, volcanic ash and acid rain. Also Read: AI used by scientists to discover a treatment for childhood cancer On Tuesday night, the institute noticed a strong increase in the number of smaller eruptions that hurl rocks and cinders high into the air from the La Palma volcano. Earlier, a new fissure emerged in the erupting volcano on Spain's Canary Islands, gushing out more lava and forcing another 500 people to flee, officials said on Tuesday. Also Read: What caused massive Arctic ozone hole in 2020, study finds The Cumbre Vieja volcano has forced a total of 6,000 people from their homes and destroyed around 100 properties since it erupted on Sunday afternoon. In a tweet, the emergency services said that "a new eruptive fissure has opened" and that the "population is being evacuated". (With inputs from agencies)

Volcanic eruption could last three months in Spain’s Canary Islands, say experts   

Lava poured from an erupting volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma for a fourth day on Wednesday, blanketing houses and fields, a day after people with homes on the path of the molten rock were allowed back briefly to recover belongings.

Towers of magma burst high into the air overnight, painting the night sky red and spraying fiery debris onto the flanks of the Cumbre Vieja volcano.

Drone footage earlier showed lava flowing westwards to the coast in three huge tongues, incinerating everything in their path, including a school.

During the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Canary Islands` vulcanology institute said the amplitude of the volcano`s seismic activity intensified.

That seismic activity is "an indicator of the intensity of the strombolian explosive activity," the institute said late on Tuesday. Strombolian is an adjective describing volcanic eruptions with violent explosions ejecting incandescent dust.

The report was issued as the lava pouring from the flanks of the volcano had spread to cover 154 hectares (0.59 square mile) in the towns of El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane, according to Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

The unstoppable lava has been slowly burning and covering houses as well as fields since the Cumbre Vieja volcano has erupted on Sunday afternoon.

About 6,000 people of the 80,000 people living on the island have been evacuated since Sunday and those living on the path of the lava were allowed back into their homes for brief moments to recover belongings.

No fatalities or injuries have been reported, but drone footage captured two tongues of black lava cutting a devastating swathe through the landscape as they advanced down the volcano`s western flank towards the sea.

Experts say that if and when the lava reaches the sea, it could trigger more explosions and clouds of toxic gases. Marine authorities are keeping a two nautical mile area in the sea around the area closed as a precaution.

The lava flow was initially expected to reach the shore on Monday evening, but its speed has fallen.

Lava poured from an erupting volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma for a fourth day on Wednesday, blanketing houses and fields, a day after people with homes on the path of the molten rock were allowed back briefly to recover belongings.

Lava poured from an erupting volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma for a fourth day on Wednesday, blanketing houses and fields, a day after people with homes on the path of the molten rock were allowed back briefly to recover belongings. Towers of magma burst high into the air overnight, painting the night sky red and spraying fiery debris onto the flanks of the Cumbre Vieja volcano. Drone footage earlier showed lava flowing westwards to the coast in three huge tongues, incinerating everything in their path, including a school. During the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Canary Islands` vulcanology institute said the amplitude of the volcano`s seismic activity intensified. That seismic activity is "an indicator of the intensity of the strombolian explosive activity," the institute said late on Tuesday. Strombolian is an adjective describing volcanic eruptions with violent explosions ejecting incandescent dust. The report was issued as the lava pouring from the flanks of the volcano had spread to cover 154 hectares (0.59 square mile) in the towns of El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane, according to Copernicus Emergency Management Service. The unstoppable lava has been slowly burning and covering houses as well as fields since the Cumbre Vieja volcano has erupted on Sunday afternoon. About 6,000 people of the 80,000 people living on the island have been evacuated since Sunday and those living on the path of the lava were allowed back into their homes for brief moments to recover belongings. No fatalities or injuries have been reported, but drone footage captured two tongues of black lava cutting a devastating swathe through the landscape as they advanced down the volcano`s western flank towards the sea. Experts say that if and when the lava reaches the sea, it could trigger more explosions and clouds of toxic gases. Marine authorities are keeping a two nautical mile area in the sea around the area closed as a precaution. The lava flow was initially expected to reach the shore on Monday evening, but its speed has fallen.

Volcano lava in Spain's Canary Island gushes towards sea, eruption goes on

A volcano eruption on La Palma in the Spanish Canary Islands has destroyed houses and forced residents to evacuate. The civil guards remain on alert as experts are warning that the eruption may last for days.

Volcanic eruption on La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands forces evacuations

A new fissure emerged in the erupting volcano on Spain's Canary Islands, gushing out more lava and forcing another 500 people to flee, officials said Tuesday.&nbsp;

The Cumbre Vieja volcano has forced a total of 6,000 people from their homes and destroyed around 100 properties since it erupted on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaPalma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaPalma</a> Incredible scenes coming from the Canary Islands at the moment! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StaySafe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StaySafe</a> <a href="https://t.co/eCMSYBnVyW">pic.twitter.com/eCMSYBnVyW</a>
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The Invoca has confirmed that the lava coming out of the volcano reaches a temperature of 1075 ºC. THIS IS CRAZY!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#spain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/volcano?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#volcano</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lapalma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lapalma</a> <a href="https://t.co/kvvSTZDAVP">pic.twitter.com/kvvSTZDAVP</a>
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In a tweet, the emergency services said that "a new eruptive fissure has opened" and that the "population is being evacuated".&nbsp; 
At the scene, long lines of cars could be seen waiting to leave the area as police sirens wailed, the fiery glow of the erupting volcano lighting up the dark skies.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez flew to La Palma as Mount Cumbre Vieja erupted in El Paso, spewing out columns of smoke, ash and lava as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on the Canary island of La Palma.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-pm-arrives-as-volcano-erupts-destroying-buildings-in-canary-islands-414435">Also read |&nbsp;Spanish PM arrives as volcano erupts destroying buildings in Canary Islands</a>

Canary Islands Volcanology Institute reported the initial eruption shortly after 3pm near the southern end of the island, which saw its last eruption in 1971.&nbsp;

La Palma, with a population of 85,000, is one of the eight volcanic islands in Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago off Africa’s western coast.&nbsp;

Sánchez has postponed his departure to New York for the UN General Assembly in order to travel to La Palma because of the volcanic eruption.

"I am at the moment heading to the Canary Islands because of the seismic evolution, to see first-hand the situation in La Palma, the coordination of the

A new fissure emerged in the erupting volcano on Spain's Canary Islands, gushing out more lava and forcing another 500 people to flee, officials said Tuesday. The Cumbre Vieja volcano has forced a total of 6,000 people from their homes and destroyed around 100 properties since it erupted on Sunday afternoon.

A new fissure emerged in the erupting volcano on Spain's Canary Islands, gushing out more lava and forcing another 500 people to flee, officials said Tuesday. The Cumbre Vieja volcano has forced a total of 6,000 people from their homes and destroyed around 100 properties since it erupted on Sunday afternoon. #LaPalma Incredible scenes coming from the Canary Islands at the moment! #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/eCMSYBnVyW — Martyn Sadler (@martyn_sadler) September 19, 2021 × The Invoca has confirmed that the lava coming out of the volcano reaches a temperature of 1075 ºC. THIS IS CRAZY!!! #spain #volcano #lapalma pic.twitter.com/kvvSTZDAVP — Erin (@Erinhazeel) September 19, 2021 × In a tweet, the emergency services said that "a new eruptive fissure has opened" and that the "population is being evacuated". At the scene, long lines of cars could be seen waiting to leave the area as police sirens wailed, the fiery glow of the erupting volcano lighting up the dark skies. Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez flew to La Palma as Mount Cumbre Vieja erupted in El Paso, spewing out columns of smoke, ash and lava as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on the Canary island of La Palma. Also read | Spanish PM arrives as volcano erupts destroying buildings in Canary Islands Canary Islands Volcanology Institute reported the initial eruption shortly after 3pm near the southern end of the island, which saw its last eruption in 1971. La Palma, with a population of 85,000, is one of the eight volcanic islands in Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago off Africa’s western coast. Sánchez has postponed his departure to New York for the UN General Assembly in order to travel to La Palma because of the volcanic eruption. "I am at the moment heading to the Canary Islands because of the seismic evolution, to see first-hand the situation in La Palma, the coordination of the

New fissure opens in Canary Islands volcano

A volcano erupted on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma on Sunday, sending lava shooting into the air and streaming in rivers towards houses in two villages from the Cumbre Vieja national park in the south of the island. Watch this video for more details.

Volcanic eruption on Canary Islands

The Cumbre Vieja&nbsp;volcano&nbsp;erupted on Spain's&nbsp;Canary&nbsp;Islands&nbsp;on Sunday spewing out lava, ash and a huge column of smoke after days of increased seismic activity, sparking evacuations of people living nearby, authorities said.

Cumbre Vieja, which last erupted 50 years ago, straddles a ridge in the south of La Palma island, home to around 80,000 people.

"The eruption started in the Cabeza de Vaca zone, in El Paso," the local government said on its Twitter account, adding that evacuations have started in the areas closest to the&nbsp;volcano.

"People are asked to be extremely careful and to stay away from the eruption zone to avoid needless risk," the government added.

The head of the Canaries region, Angel Victor Torres, said the zone was forested and "sparsely populated".

State television ran live coverage of the eruption during the late afternoon.

<img alt="Mount Cumbre Vieja erupts spewing out a column of smoke, ash and lava " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d268b0a1-8327-4e2b-a841-1a60b4bb4d9c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/volcano.jpg" />

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced he would head to the scene later Sunday "to follow developments".

"Given the situation La Palma island, the head of government has delayed his scheduled departure today for New York," to attend the UN General Assembly, a statement said.

"All the services are prepared to act in a coordinated fashion," Sanchez wrote on Twitter.

<img alt="The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Spain's Canary Islands today spewing out lava, ash and a huge column of smoke after days of increased seismic activity, sparking evacuations of people living nearby, " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abde630e-46ab-4ad5-942e-dbcf8a5871f6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/volc3.jpg" />

The interior ministry said 200 members of the security services had been mobilised with a helicopter as back up.

<h2>&nbsp;Thousands of tremors&nbsp;</h2>

Experts had been keeping a close watch on the&nbsp;volcano&nbsp;after observing an upsurge in seismic activity and magma displacements.

An earthquake swarm under La Cumbre Vieja began a week ago and since then there had been thousands of tremors, the strongest with a magnitude of nearly four, the Involcan vulcanology institute said.

An earthquake swarm&nbsp;is a sequence of seismic events occurring in one place within a relatively short period of time.

The authorities had on Tuesday raised the alert level from green to yellow, the second of four levels, in certain areas around the&nbsp;volcano, meaning civil protection officials had to inform the public "to take precautions ahead of a possible volcanic eruption", under an emergency plan.&nbsp;

Involcan had reported a "significant ground deformation" as a result of "a small volume" of new magma flowing into the reservoir underneath the&nbsp;volcano, which amounted to 11 million cubic metres.&nbsp;

"Undoubtedly the current seismic swarm represents a significant change in the activity of the Cumbre Vieja&nbsp;volcano&nbsp;and is related to a process of magmatic intrusion beneath the island of La Palma," it said.

The Canaries, an archipelago of seven&nbsp;islands&nbsp;off of northwestern Africa, last recorded a volcanic eruption in 2011, undersea off El Hierro island.

Cumbre Vieja erupted twice in the 20th century -- in 1971 and in 1949.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday spewing out lava, ash and a huge column of smoke after days of increased seismic activity, sparking evacuations of people living nearby, authorities said.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday spewing out lava, ash and a huge column of smoke after days of increased seismic activity, sparking evacuations of people living nearby, authorities said. Cumbre Vieja, which last erupted 50 years ago, straddles a ridge in the south of La Palma island, home to around 80,000 people. "The eruption started in the Cabeza de Vaca zone, in El Paso," the local government said on its Twitter account, adding that evacuations have started in the areas closest to the volcano. "People are asked to be extremely careful and to stay away from the eruption zone to avoid needless risk," the government added. The head of the Canaries region, Angel Victor Torres, said the zone was forested and "sparsely populated". State television ran live coverage of the eruption during the late afternoon. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced he would head to the scene later Sunday "to follow developments". "Given the situation La Palma island, the head of government has delayed his scheduled departure today for New York," to attend the UN General Assembly, a statement said. "All the services are prepared to act in a coordinated fashion," Sanchez wrote on Twitter. The interior ministry said 200 members of the security services had been mobilised with a helicopter as back up. Thousands of tremors Experts had been keeping a close watch on the volcano after observing an upsurge in seismic activity and magma displacements. An earthquake swarm under La Cumbre Vieja began a week ago and since then there had been thousands of tremors, the strongest with a magnitude of nearly four, the Involcan vulcanology institute said. An earthquake swarm is a sequence of seismic events occurring in one place within a relatively short period of time. The authorities had on Tuesday raised the alert level from green to yellow, the second of four levels, in certain areas around the volcano, meaning civil protection officials had to inform the public "to take precautions ahead of a possible volcanic eruption", under an emergency plan. Involcan had reported a "significant ground deformation" as a result of "a small volume" of new magma flowing into the reservoir underneath the volcano, which amounted to 11 million cubic metres. "Undoubtedly the current seismic swarm represents a significant change in the activity of the Cumbre Vieja volcano and is related to a process of magmatic intrusion beneath the island of La Palma," it said. The Canaries, an archipelago of seven islands off of northwestern Africa, last recorded a volcanic eruption in 2011, undersea off El Hierro island. Cumbre Vieja erupted twice in the 20th century -- in 1971 and in 1949.

Volcano erupts on Spain's Canary Islands

There is more to tomatoes than it meets the eye. Spanish people seem to be the ones to realise it truly though. &nbsp;

Along with the annual Tomatina festival, the country also celebrates the unusual 'ugliest tomato' competition every year in northern Tudela.

Watch:&nbsp;'Sendoff'- Here's the world's first funeral app

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The love for the red and wrinkled is old in this part of the world. The competition fills farmers with joy. The winner Spanish family also got an Iberian ham as the prize.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the 14th edition of the competition, dozens of ugly tomatoes competed for the award, which was decided by a popular jury. &nbsp;

Known as "Ugly tomato of Tudela", the type of tomato is an old tomato of the Marmande variety. It is grown mainly in the Navarre region.

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Rather than round and smooth, some of this variety of tomato ends up twisted. &nbsp;

Some say they get the ugly tomatoes by luck, while others blame the failed pollination by bees for the result. &nbsp;

The competition also includes a tasting of quality and flavour of 'normal' tomatoes.&nbsp;

There is more to tomatoes than it meets the eye. Spanish people seem to be the ones to realise it truly though. Along with the annual Tomatina festival, the country also celebrates the unusual 'ugliest tomato' competition every year in northern Tudela.

There is more to tomatoes than it meets the eye. Spanish people seem to be the ones to realise it truly though. Along with the annual Tomatina festival, the country also celebrates the unusual 'ugliest tomato' competition every year in northern Tudela. Watch: 'Sendoff'- Here's the world's first funeral app × The love for the red and wrinkled is old in this part of the world. The competition fills farmers with joy. The winner Spanish family also got an Iberian ham as the prize. In the 14th edition of the competition, dozens of ugly tomatoes competed for the award, which was decided by a popular jury. Known as "Ugly tomato of Tudela", the type of tomato is an old tomato of the Marmande variety. It is grown mainly in the Navarre region. Also Read: Pace to reach space shoots up as SpaceX set to launch billionaire into orbit Rather than round and smooth, some of this variety of tomato ends up twisted. Some say they get the ugly tomatoes by luck, while others blame the failed pollination by bees for the result. The competition also includes a tasting of quality and flavour of 'normal' tomatoes.

May 'ugliest tomato' win: Spain's unusual competition fills farmers with joy  

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Wildfires continue to rage in Spain for the fifth consecutive day. Evacuation is underway as blaze goes out of control.

Evacuation underway in Spain after wildfires go out of control

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Wildfire flare continue for the fifth day in parts of southern Spain

A 19-year-old has sued a health trust after a DNA test revealed she had no relation to her&nbsp;presumed mother and father.

She was born in a maternity ward in the La Rioja region of Spain in 2002.

The Spanish teenager is demanding a compensation worth almost $3 million after getting swapped at birth and being handed to the wrong parents.

According to Spanish doctors of the hospital, the 'human error' occurred after two underweight babies were placed on incubators and got swapped while being handed over.

The parents of the other woman were&nbsp;also a part of the fiasco have been informed about it as well.

"The systems back then were different and weren't as computerised as they are now," said Sara Alba, the health chief of Spain's northern La Rioja region.

In 1994, two French women that were mistakenly switched at birth received an award worth $351,450 each.

Although both of them had questioned about the identity of the infants, the nurse that handed them insisted she had made no mistake.

However, the devastating truth was revealed after both questioned their identity and took a DNA test.

A 19-year-old has sued a health trust after a DNA test revealed she had no relation to her presumed mother and father. She was born in a maternity ward in the La Rioja region of Spain in 2002.

A 19-year-old has sued a health trust after a DNA test revealed she had no relation to her presumed mother and father. She was born in a maternity ward in the La Rioja region of Spain in 2002. The Spanish teenager is demanding a compensation worth almost $3 million after getting swapped at birth and being handed to the wrong parents. According to Spanish doctors of the hospital, the 'human error' occurred after two underweight babies were placed on incubators and got swapped while being handed over. The parents of the other woman were also a part of the fiasco have been informed about it as well. "The systems back then were different and weren't as computerised as they are now," said Sara Alba, the health chief of Spain's northern La Rioja region. In 1994, two French women that were mistakenly switched at birth received an award worth $351,450 each. Although both of them had questioned about the identity of the infants, the nurse that handed them insisted she had made no mistake. However, the devastating truth was revealed after both questioned their identity and took a DNA test.

Spanish teenager sues health trust for almost $3 million after getting swapped at birth

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