A volcano in southwest Iceland has erupted, spewing lava and smoke across a wide area weeks after nearly 4,000 residents of a nearby town were evacuated amid intense seismic activity.
“At 22:17 this evening, a volcanic eruption began north of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula,” Iceland’s Meteorological Office said on Monday.
“At 22:17 this evening, a volcanic eruption began north of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula,” Iceland’s Meteorological Office said on Monday.
The livestreamed footage of the eruption showed glowing orange lava rising into the night sky, surrounded by billowing red smoke.
“A Coast Guard helicopter will take off shortly to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption,” the IMO said.
Iceland has been on high alert for a potential eruption after thousands of small earthquakes rattled the region about 40km (25 miles) south of the capital Reykjavik prompting the evacuation of the fishing town of Grindavik and the closure of the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
The crack in the earth’s surface was about 3.5km (2.1 miles) long and had grown rapidly, the Met Office said.
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