La Palma will succeed in rebuilding, says King Felipe VI

“It will cost a lot, but La Palma will succeed,” says King Felipe VI.

The island of La Palma will face struggles, but King Felipe said he believes the Island will rebound.

Speaking after a tour of the disaster area with Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, King Felipe said he had been deeply moved by the struggle islanders face.

Lava from the Cumbre Viejo has destroyed hundreds of homes and hundreds of hectares of farm land.

The King expressed his “solidarity and affection” to the inhabitants of “this ‘beautiful island'”.

“We have to do everything in our power to help these families,” he said.

“It will cost a lot to return to normality, but La Palma will succeed,” he added.

The King and Queen visited El Fuerte barracks, which is acting as temporary housing for people who have been evacuated from their homes. They also visited Todoque. Their itinerary concluded in Los Llanos de Aridane where they met with residents of La Palma who have lost their homes.

The latest data shows that lava spewing from the Cumbre Vieja volcano has destroyed 166.2 hectares, 374 homes and affected more than 16,100 people.

The Government of the Canary Islands is urgently seeking to rehouse residents. The damage is currently estimated to be in excess of €87 million but the figure is likely to rise.

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