A volcano situated on the north of the Icelandic fishing village of Grindavik erupted early on Sunday (Jan 14), just hours after residents were evacuated in the vicinity of the area, the authorities said.
This is the fifth volcanic eruption that has occurred in Iceland in nearly three years. The most recent occurred on December 18 in the same region, southwest of the capital Reykjavik.
The eruption took place at 8:00 am (0800 GMT), the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said.
“A crack has opened up on both sides of the dykes that have begun to be built north of Grindavik,” the Met Office wrote.
According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), the lava was advancing towards the town and had reached a distance of approximately 450 meters (1,500 feet).
“From measurements from the Icelandic coastguard helicopter, the (lava’s) perimeter is now about 450 metres (yards) from the northernmost houses in the town,” it said. Two of the houses had also caught fire in Grindavik.
After the seismic activity intensified overnight, the last of the town’s residents were evacuated around 3:00 am, news agency AFP reported citing public broadcaster RUV.
WATCH | Residents visit evacuated Icelandic town for first time since volcanic eruption
In Grindavik, most of the city’s 4,000 residents were ordered to evacuate on Nov 11 as a precautionary measure after scientists reported a tunnel of magma moving beneath the city
Small earthquakes, sometimes as many as 100 a day, lead to huge cracks in streets, homes and buildings.
Residents were allowed to return for brief periods after the volcanic eruption on Dec 18.
On December 23, they were allowed to move back in permanently, but only a small number of people did so.
‘No lives in danger’, says President Gudni Johannesson
The live videos from the scene showed billowing smoke emanating from cracks in the ground across a wide area very close to the town of Grindavik.
“No lives are in danger, although infrastructure may be under threat,” Iceland’s President Gudni Johannesson said on social media site X, adding there had been no interruptions to flights.
Aerial footage from the Icelandic Coast Guard shows the proximity of the lava flow to the town of Grindavík. Measures are being taken to defend infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/fM0JEYetNA
— President of Iceland (@PresidentISL) January 14, 2024
“It is of course frightening to see how close this is to the town,” Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir told the daily Morgunbladid.
(With inputs from agencies)
