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A bright red river of lava from the volcano on Spain’s La Palma island has finally tumbled over a cliff and into the Atlantic Ocean.

It set off huge plumes of steam and possibly toxic gases that forced local residents outside the evacuation zone to remain indoors.

The immediate area had been evacuated for several days as authorities waited for the lava that began erupting on September 19 to traverse the 6.5km to the island's edge.

READ MORE: Lava swallows up church on Spanish island

On the way down from the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge, the lava flows have engulfed at least 656 buildings, mostly homes and farm buildings, in its unstoppable march to the sea.

The meeting of molten rock and seawater finally came at 11pm on Tuesday local time (9am AEDT).

By daybreak, a widening promontory of newborn land could be seen forming under plumes of steam rising high into the area.

READ MORE: Amateur free divers discover ancient coins in the depths of the Mediterranean

Even though initial air quality reading showed no danger in the area, experts had warned that the arrival of the lava at the ocean would likely produce small explosions and release toxic gases that could damage lungs.

Authorities established a security perimeter of 3.5km and asked residents in the wider area to remain indoors with windows shut to avoid breathing in any gases.

No deaths or serious injuries have been reported from the island’s first eruption in 50 years, thanks to the prompt evacuations of over 6000 people after the ground cracked open following weeks of tremors.

READ MORE: Toxic gas and new rivers of molten lava endanger Spanish island

The flattening of the terrain as it approached the coast had slowed down the flow of the lava, causing it to widen out and do more damage to villages and farms.

The local economy is largely based on agriculture, above all the cultivation of the Canary plantain.

Just before it poured down a cliff into the sea at a local point known as Los Guirres, the lava rolled over the coastal highway, cutting off the last road in the area that connects the island to several villages.

“We hope that the channel to the sea that has opened stops the lava flow, which widened to reach 600 metres at one point, from continuing to grow, because that has caused tremendous damage,” Ángel Víctor Torres, president of the Canary Islands regional government, told Cope radio.

Mr Torres said his government is working to house those who have lost their dwellings.

READ MORE: 'Triple threat' storm system to hit Australia's east today

Authorities have plans to purchase over 100 currently unoccupied homes.

Mr Torres cited one village, Todoque, home to 1400 people, which was wiped out.

La Palma, home to about 85,000 people, is part of the volcanic Canary Islands, an archipelago off north-west Africa.

The island is roughly 35km long and 20km wide at its broadest point.

Cleaning crews swept up ash in the island’s capital, Santa Cruz, while more small earthquakes that have rumbled under the volcano for weeks were registered by geologists.

Favourable weather conditions allowed the first flight in five days to land at airport on La Palma, an important tourist destination along with its neighbouring Canary islands, despite a huge ash cloud that Spain’s National Geographic Institute said reached up to seven kilometres high.

READ MORE: Eight people missing after tourist helicopter crashes into volcanic crater

Laura Garcés, the director of Spain's air navigation authority ENAIRE, said she doesn't foresee any major problems for other airports on the archipelago because of the ash.

While the red tongue of lava lolled off the coast, the two open vents of the volcano continued to belch up more magma from below.

Experts say it's impossible to determine how long the eruption will last.

Previous eruptions in the archipelago have lasted weeks, even months.

“We don’t know when this will be over,” volcano scientist Stavros Meletlidis of Spain’s National Geographic Institute told state broadcaster TVE.

“Volcanos are not friends of statistics.”

Six teenagers have been taken to hospital after ingesting an unknown substance at a home in Mackay, in Central Queensland.

Three girls and three boys were found requiring medical treatment at the address on Malcomson Street after emergency services were called just before 11am.

A 15-year-old boy is in a critical condition.

Police have declared a crime scene and are working to determine what substance the teens ingested.

More to come.

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A Melbourne man accused of murder has been granted bail to "support his family" as his father battles COVID-19 in hospital.

Adam Tiba, 22, was granted bail before the Supreme Court earlier this afternoon.

The court heard his father, Zain, was in an induced coma in hospital with COVID-19 and was allegedly "the sickest man in Australia".

READ MORE: Victoria records 1438 new COVID-19 cases

Restrictions stop Mr Tiba from actually visiting his ill father in hospital unless "death is imminent", but his lawyer said Mr Tiba's family was "in crisis".

The lawyer said Mr Tiba would have a critical role in supporting his mum, who is recovering from coronavirus, and his young siblings.

Mr Tiba has been accused of gunning down Adrian Pacione last year.

Mr Pacione was shot in the head at an Ella Court property in Lalor on 18 July 2020 while he was watching television in the back room of his friend's house.

Mr Tiba and two other men were charged with the 20-year-old's apprentice's murder on 21 October, 2020.

The Australian Capital Territory recorded 31 new local cases of COVID-19.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said at least 17 of today's cases had been in the community at some point during their infection period and 14 were still under investigation.

He said getting tested early was vital to drive down case numbers.

"It helps reduce the number of infectious days in the community, but will also help if you are diagnosed earlier with treatments to help you recover from COVID," he said.

READ MORE: Three Aussie states grapple with COVID-19 outbreaks

He also urged people not to mix COVID-19 vaccines.

"Mixing vaccines is not approved in Australia at this time, so it's not possible to get an mRNA vaccine if you have received AstraZeneca as your first dose," he said.

His warning comes as people over the age of 60 become eligible to book a Pfizer vaccine at a mass vaccination clinic or through a local GP.

The Moderna vaccine has become available for the same age group.

READ MORE: Illegal Grand Final parties partly blamed for Victoria's COVID-19 spike

Mr Barr urged residents to be proactive with continuing their vaccination plan as more doses become available.

"If you have received a first dose of AstraZeneca, you must receive a second dose of AstraZeneca."

He said this was due to forward planning by the Commonwealth Government to ensure boosters shots were available next year.

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