A volcano eruption on the Spanish island of La Palma has officially been declared over, after three months of spewing ash and hot molten rock.
Since erupting on 19 September, the Cumbre Vieja volcano destroyed more than 3,000 properties and hundreds of acres of farmland on the Canary Island.
More than 7,000 people were forced to leave their homes as lava closed in.
But after 10 days of calmer activity, authorities decided the volcano was not going to flare up again.
“What I want to say today can be said with just four words: The eruption is over,” said Canary Islands regional security chief Julio Perez.
There had been no earth tremors since 13 December – the longest period without any activity since the volcano began.
But Mr Perez said experts wanted to be sure the eruption had stopped before declaring it was over on Christmas Day.
No injuries or deaths have been linked to the eruption on the island, where about 80,000 people live.
But more than 1,300 homes have been destroyed, as well as churches, schools and swathes of banana plantations.
