The Cabildo de La Palma has made an urgent appeal to curious residents of the Canaries and tourists in the area to stay away and avoid going to the island to see the volcano. What in other circumstances could be essential to reactivate the tourism sector and, therefore, the island's economy, at this moment in time can be a hindrance for the security and emergency forces that are working in La Palma to guarantee the safety of the island’s population.
And although the airport remains closed due to ash accumulation and flights have been cancelled, the last flights and boats to La Palma, as seen in the image above, have been filled with people who want to see the volcano up close.
“There are people arriving on the island for the sole purpose of seeing the volcano thinking it’s a tourist attraction. It is happening in the same way as when it snows on Teide and the volume of people blocks the roads despite the authorities requesting they don’t go.”
“We are calling for responsibility in this situation and that as far as possible only people that come to La Palma, do so because it is strictly necessary, so we can stop seeing images of crowded ports, airports and, above all, roads on the island”, said a spokesperson for the fire-fighters working on the island.
CHANGES ON ROADS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY:
The Cabildo has announced a series of changes to the roads of the island, to guarantee maximum safety, fluidity of circulation, and facilitate the work of the emergency services, as follows:
Only residents, workers who perform their duties in the zones, and emergency or authorized vehicles will be allowed to access the area of the LP-2 and the LP-3 in the section between the Padrón roundabout and the Maderas la Rueda roundabout. Residents and workers who require access must present proof of residence or official authorization.
These measures are in force from this evening and will be applied 24 hours a day as long as the evolution of the volcanic eruption requires it.
