Pedro Sánchez announces the first steps towards declaring an emergency zone in La Palma

La Palma (Canary Islands)

After the meeting of the PEVOLCA Steering Committee and accompanied by the president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the president of the City Hall of La Palma, Mariano Hernández, Sánchez confirmed that the Council of Ministers has taken "the first steps to activate the procedure to declare a Civil Protection emergency zone by the Government of Spain".

"These are going to be long weeks in which we will have to work together with all the institutions to be able to assess the damage," continued the President of the Government of Spain.

The head of the Executive reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the recovery and reconstruction of the areas affected by the volcanic eruption on the island. "I want to make it clear that crisis management will not end when the lava reaches the sea, but when La Palma is back to normal. That is where the Government of Spain and the other administrations are going to be", he indicated.

The president took the opportunity to appeal for calm to the whole of society in La Palma. "Safety is guaranteed thanks to the extraordinary work of the entire emergency operation deployed on the island," he stressed.

Sánchez has stressed caution as one of the key elements to overcome the volcanic emergency that La Palma is undergoing. The president also insisted on the importance of keeping in mind that the situation is still alive and the volcano is still active.

"Avoid proximity to magma and the volcano; keep roads as clear as possible. There is still a risk of evacuation and it is important that all emergency services are able to operate as quickly as possible in the face of this highly unpredictable event," said Sánchez.

Visit with King Felipe VI this Thursday

The President of the Government of Spain has reported on his agenda for the coming days. Sánchez will travel to the United States this afternoon to take part in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and will return to La Palma on Thursday.

"On Thursday I will join, hopefully on time, the visit of the Head of State, His Majesty the King, to the island of La Palma; and on Friday I will remain here together with the Canary Islands Government and the Government of the City Hall to continue participating in the PEVOLCA Steering Committee," Sánchez said.

Non official translation