An active volcano on the Cumbre Vieja mountains in Spain’s La Palma island erupted for the first time in four decades on September 19, destroying around 100 homes and prompting evacuation of thousands of people. A video posted to social media shows the volcanic eruption‘s impact as it swept through vast swathes of the island of some 80,000 inhabitants: lava engulfing a swimming pool to release fumes into the air and plumes of black-and-white smoke emerging from houses and crops.

The lava, about six meters high, is emitting between 6,000 and 9,000 tons of sulfur dioxide a day as it advances towards the coast.

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The eruption came after a week-long buildup of seismic activity with over 22,000 tremors being reported in the Cumbre Vieja area.

Several small earthquakes shook the island on Tuesday and a new vent blew open on the mountainside, Associated Press reported.

Authorities had begun evacuating people prior to the eruption and had also asked residents of the five other nearby villages to be ready for leaving their homes.

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Immediately after the eruption, the residents were asked to “exercise extreme caution” and stay away from the area and off the roads.

A 3.8-magnitude quake was reportedly recorded before the eruption as vibrations from the seismic activity were felt on the surface. The Scientific Committee of the Volcano Risk Prevention Plan warned that stronger earthquakes “are likely to be felt and may cause damage to buildings.” Experts also noted that a stretch of the island’s southwest coast was at risk for landslides and rock falls.

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La Palma is one of eight islands in Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago, which, at their nearest point to Africa, are 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Morocco.

The earliest recorded volcanic eruption in La Palma dates back to 1430. The eruption that took place on on October 26, 1971, killed one person, who  was taking photographs near the lava flows. No property damage was reported.