A volcano erupted in southwest Iceland, spewing molten lava into a nearby town and setting houses on fire, authorities say, marking the second eruption the area has witnessed in weeks.
There was no immediate threat to the residents of Grindavik, a small fishing town, which is under evacuation orders.
A webcam installed by the Icelandic public broadcaster RUV showed a lava flow streaming toward Grindavik, with buildings ablaze just meters from other homes.
Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, a spokesperson for the Icelandic Civil Protection Agency, had earlier warned CNN that it was “quite possible” that lava could reach the town and damage infrastructure, even though it was protected by lava barriers, and authorities were monitoring the flow.
On Saturday (13), the Icelandic National Police Commissioner ordered Grindavik residents, who were first evacuated in November, to leave the town again by Monday night after volcanic fissures opened in the region’s roads.
There was no danger to human life, Gudmundsdottir said.
After the eruption, the police raised the alert level. An Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter was also deployed to monitor the situation.
Hours before the eruption, the Icelandic Meteorological Office reported an earthquake.
Speaking about air travel, Gudmundsdottir told CNN that the nearby Keflavik airport was safe because the eruption did not produce ash, which could affect flights. “This eruption will not affect Keflavik Airport or air travel in general,” she said.
Grindavik, about 70 kilometers southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, was previously evacuated after weeks of seismic activity culminated in a dramatic volcanic eruption that spewed bursts of lava and sent massive clouds of smoke into the sky.
The fissure after the December eruption measured about four kilometers, while the fissure from Sunday’s eruption was about a quarter of that length.
The town is also home to Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon, attracting tourists with its steaming geothermal waters and being one of the country’s most visited attractions.
“It can be assumed that the order will be in effect for the next three weeks,” said the country’s Civil Protection Agency in a statement, adding that the only exceptions to the order would be for authorities conducting official business or for residents “for short periods while retrieving valuables.”
The latest evacuation order comes after the Icelandic Meteorological Office reported on Friday (12) that the hazards associated with volcanic fissures were deemed higher than in their previous assessment.
“Based on the hazard assessment from the Department of Civil Protection issued on January 12, it is not considered justifiable to continue residing in Grindavik, in light of public safety considerations,” said the government agency.
The amount of magma reached a level similar to a previous eruption in December, the agency said. However, in the case of the latest eruption, the magma may “migrate further south” – compared to the previous eruption. The December eruption is believed to have been the largest so far, according to authorities. A state of emergency was declared in November.
Iceland’s Volcanoes:
Iceland is home to 32 active volcanoes and sits on a tectonic plate boundary that continuously splits, moving North America and Eurasia away from each other along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
The country is accustomed to volcanic eruptions, though they often occur in wilderness areas, far from populated areas.
The Bárðarbunga volcanic system in the country’s center erupted in 2014, producing lava that covered 84 square kilometers of highlands but did not damage any communities.
Experts do not expect the latest series of eruptions to cause the same level of chaos observed in 2010 when the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, as it is unlikely to involve glacial ice that led to a massive ash cloud.
Around 100,000 flights were canceled, affecting 2 million people, as a result of the ash expelled by the 2010 eruption, which threatened to stall airplane engines and cause electrical failures.
font: cnn
