VOLCANO: At first glance, the eruption of Piton de la Fournaise in Reunion does not seem to present a danger for the inhabitants
The Piton de la Fournaise, the volcano of Reunion, one of the busiest in the world, has erupted on Monday for the first time this year, announced the prefecture. A major seismic crisis started at 10:27 local time (07:27 Paris time) and “the volcanic tremor, synonymous with the arrival of magma near the surface, (is) recorded since about 10:50 local time,” said the prefecture.
According to the apparatuses of the Piton de la Fournaise Volcanological Observatory (OVPF), the source of this tremor is located on the eastern flank of the volcano. Located in the caldera of the volcano, this area is completely uninhabited. The eruption, therefore, poses no danger to people and property.
Five eruptions in 2019
The last awakening of the Fournaise dates back to October 25, 2019. The volcano went back to sleep on October 27. The casting front had frozen 250 meters from national road 2 (RN2), the only traffic axis connecting east to the south by the coast.
Located in the south-east of Reunion, the Piton de la Fournaise is one of the most active in the world. It has erupted twenty times over the past ten years. He woke up five times in 2019.
