Let's face it, the chances of escaping rivers of lava are zero if you are not moving away from them. Yet, this is exactly what happened to a little house in the Canary Islands that miraculously survived lava coming from a nearby volcano.
Pictures posted online show the structure on a small piece of land that wasn't affected by the eruption, while the rest of the island was scorched by lava, which has been flowing non-stop for almost a week. Social media users dubbed it a "miracle house".
Per the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the house is owned by an elderly Danish couple, who hasn't been there since the pandemic started.
"We all started crying like crazy when I told them [the owners] that their beloved house was intact", said Ada Monnikendam, a resident of La Palma island who built the house for the couple.
According to her, the pair was "relieved" that the house is still standing. Their friends, however, were less lucky – their homes were destroyed by flows of lava.
Experts predict more damage as the eruption continues, although they note that it is no longer explosive. Nevertheless, scientists say that the eruption poses a risk to both the environment and people. If lava flows reach the sea they could trigger a chemical reaction that will create toxic gas clouds as well as explosions.
"There will be a huge battle between the water and the lava. With those contrasting temperatures, it causes massive explosions and a fragmentation of the lava which shoots out like missiles", said David Calvo, an expert with the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute (INVOLCAN).
Researchers say that the eruption could last for weeks as the Canary Islands have a history of eruptions. According to Spanish media outlets, the longest occurred on La Palma in 1585 and lasted 84 days, while the shortest event occurred in 1971 and lasted 25 days.