Earthquakes cause evacuations on El Hierro

The Cabildo of El Hierro reported last night that 53 people from La Frontera were evacuated as a precaution against possible damage of their homes by earthquakes. The evacuation of the residents proceeded normally except for two or three cases of elderly people who showed some reluctance to give up their homes. The Roquillo tunnel remains closed as schools have also been closed in La Frontera. The Canary Islands government decided last night to evacuate the residents of the area after the scientific teams forecasts indicated that the earthquakes that are shaking the island, more than 8,000 since July, would almost certainly increase in intensity and frequency from midnight last night.

Yesterday, Tuesday 27th September 2011, over a hundred earthquakes were recorded on El Hierro, including 79 with a magnitude of between 2 and 3.8 degrees.

The Canarian Government, the Cabildo of El Hierro and the municipalities of the island approved last Friday an action plan for the possibility of a volcanic eruption and it includes measures to ensure the welfare and security of the population.

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