Lava flow slows on Spanish island, sparking worry it could destroy more homes

The advance of lava from a volcanic eruption in Spain’s Canary Islands has slowed significantly, raising fears Thursday that it might fan out further across the land and destroy more homes instead of flowing into the sea.

A giant river of lava 600 metres wide slowed to a speed of four metres per hour after reaching a plain on Wednesday. On Monday, a day after the eruption on the island of La Palma, it was moving at 700 metres per hour.

Stavros Meletlidis, a volcanologist at Spain’s National Geographic Institute, said the dynamics of any eruption are in constant flux.

“The lava