The night sky was filled with a spectacular red flash in south western Iceland on Monday as a volcano next to the town of Grindavik erupted, prompting a further evacuation.
Approaching 4,000 people have been evacuated from the fishing town of Grindavik as a crack formed in the Reykjanes peninsula, with erupting lava from the fissure lighting up the sky on Monday evening. There have been several eruptions in the area in recent years but the crack, which is two and a half miles long and less than two miles from the town at its southern extent, is said to pose a potential risk to life.
The eruption was anticipated, with the Icelandic government monitoring growing seismic activity in the area for weeks. While many were already evacuated back in November when the danger of an eruption was recognised, Fréttastofa RÚV, the Icelandic national broadcaster’s news service, published images of a vast line of traffic leaving Grindavik overnight as further residents and got away from the eruption.
It is reported some 4,000 people who would normally live in Grindavik are presently displaced, and some 100 families are homeless.
Houses in the village of Hafnarfjordur is seen as smoke is billowing in the distance as the lava colour the night sky orange from an volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, western Iceland on December 18, 2023. A volcanic eruption began on Monday night in Iceland, south of the capital Reykjavik, following an earthquake swarm, Iceland’s Meteorological Office reported. (Photo by Oskar Grimur Kristjansson / AFP) (Photo by OSKAR GRIMUR KRISTJANSSON/AFP via Getty Images)
A view of lava after volcano eruption located close to Sundhnukagigar, about 4 kilometers northeast of Grindavik town of Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland on December 19, 2023. The eruption began following an earthquake that started around an hour earlier. (Photo by ICELAND POLICE DEPARTMENT/Anadolu via Getty Images)
GRINDAVIK, ICELAND – DECEMBER 18: A volcano erupts on the Reykjanes Peninsula near the power station on December 18, 2023 north of Grindavik, Iceland. (Photo by Micah Garen/Getty Images)
Mikil bílaröð myndaðist á Reykjanesbraut eftir að eldgosið hófst í gærkvöld. Hér getum við séð hvernig bílaröðin kallast á við eldgosið við Sundhnúksgígaröðina. pic.twitter.com/5URuh89KaU
— Fréttastofa RÚV (@RUVfrettir) December 19, 2023
The crack is now reported to have stopped expanding, and as long as it doesn’t now develop further the town should be spared.
RÚV reported Tuesday morning that the wind was proving favourable and was blowing dangerous sulfurous gases away from settlements. A Civil Defence emergency has been declared in Iceland and roads have been closed leading to the area of the eruption to keep sightseers away.
Grindavik is along the same peninsula as the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, and is just nine miles from Iceland’s main airport. There have been no major deplays reported yet, unlike a major eruption in 2010 that threw up an enormous ash cloud over the Atlantic that disrupted jet travel between Europe and North America for days.
Um Grindavík og gosið:
-Lögreglustjórinn á Suðurnesjum segir búið að kalla viðbragðsaðila sem voru í Grindavík út úr bænum. Bærinn á að vera mannlaus.
-Gosið er staðsett nálægt Sundhnúksgígum um 4 km norðaustur af Grindavík.
-Gossprungan gæti lengst í áttina að Grindavík. pic.twitter.com/DPJzow7ibt— Fréttastofa RÚV (@RUVfrettir) December 19, 2023
REYKJANES, ICELAND – DECEMBER 19: A view of lava after volcano eruption located close to Sundhnukagigar, about 4 kilometers northeast of Grindavik town of Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland on December 19, 2023. The eruption began following an earthquake that started around an hour earlier. (Photo by ICELAND POLICE DEPARTMENT/Anadolu via Getty Images)
GRINDAVIK, ICELAND – DECEMBER 18: A volcano erupts on the Reykjanes Peninsula near the power station on December 18, 2023 north of Grindavik, Iceland. (Photo by Micah Garen/Getty Images)
Local resident watch smoke billow as the lava colour the night sky orange from an volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula 3 km north of Grindavik, western Iceland on December 19, 2023. A volcanic eruption began on Monday night in Iceland, south of the capital Reykjavik, following an earthquake swarm, Iceland’s Meteorological Office reported. (Photo by Kristin Elisabet Gunnarsdottir / AFP) (Photo by KRISTIN ELISABET GUNNARSDOTTIR/AFP via Getty Images)
GRINDAVIK, ICELAND – DECEMBER 18: A volcano erupts on the Reykjanes Peninsula near the power station on December 18, 2023 north of Grindavik, Iceland. (Photo by Micah Garen/Getty Images)
GRINDAVIK, ICELAND – DECEMBER 18: A volcano erupts on the Reykjanes Peninsula near the power station on December 18, 2023 north of Grindavik, Iceland. (Photo by Micah Garen/Getty Images)
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