Canary Islands volcano lava reaches ocean, raising fears of toxic gas

Residents near the coast warned to stay at home as inhalation of acid plumes can cause skin irritation and breathing difficulties

Lava from an erupting volcano in the Canary Islands has reached the ocean, volcanologists said, raising fear of toxic gases being released as the lava hits the sea water.

The regional government of the Spanish archipelago had already declared an exclusion zone of two nautical miles around where the lava was expected to enter the Atlantic and asked nearby residents to stay at home.