New volcanic eruption threatens Icelandic fishing village

AFP | Reykjavik

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A new volcanic eruption sent flames, smoke and lava spewing out near the Icelandic fishing port of Grindavik yesterday, only hours after villagers were evacuated to safety, authorities said.

It was the North Atlantic nation’s fifth volcanic eruption in under three years. The most recent occurred just weeks ago on December 18 in the same region, southwest of the capital Reykjavik. The eruption began at 8:00 am (0800 GMT) on Sunday, the Meteorological Office (IMO) said.

Jets of glowing orange lava flowed out and a huge smoke cloud rose against the sky at sunrise. “A crack has opened up on both sides of the dykes that have begun to be built north of Grindavik,” the Met Office wrote.

“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. Seismic activity had intensified overnight and the few dozen remaining residents of Grindavik were evacuated around 3:00 am, public broadcaster RUV reported.

“The town had already been successfully evacuated in the night and no lives are in danger,” said President Guoni Johannesson on X, formerly Twitter. “Infrastructure may be under threat,” he wrote, adding that airline flights had not been affected. Most of the 4,000-strong population of Grindavik had moved out as a precaution on November 11 after scientists said a tunnel of magma was shifting beneath them.

A series of small earthquakes -- sometimes hundreds per day -- created large cracks in roads, homes and buildings. Shortly after the December 18 eruption, residents were allowed to return for brief periods. They were authorised to regain their homes permanently on December 23 but only a few dozen chose to do so.