Part of the crater collapsed on the Cumbre Vieja volcano early Monday, sending a surge of lava from the lava lake on the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.

Authorities tightened surveillance of the volcano, which has been erupting since Sept. 19.

María José Blanco, a director of the National Geographic Institute on the Canary Islands, said the crater acted "like a dam," keeping the molten rock inside, but has since spilled over, growing the river of lava to 4,100 feet, 1,000 feet wider than it was on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.

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So far, the eruption has partially or completely destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, most of which were homes, as well as destroyed about 20 miles of roads, according to a European Union satellite monitoring agency.

Click through the slideshow above to see photos of the volcano's destruction.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.