Iceland volcano erupts, lava spews into evacuated fishing town

REYKJAVIK [Iceland]: A volcano erupted in Southwest Iceland on Sunday, spewing lava into a fishing town nearby, setting the houses there on fire, CNN reported citing the authorities. This is the second eruption of a volcano in southwest Iceland in recent weeks.

The people living in the little fishing village of Grindavik were ordered to evacuate, but there was no immediate threat to them. A webcam installed by RUV, the official broadcaster in Iceland, displayed a stream of lava entering Grindavik, with the burning buildings situated only a few metres away from neighbouring residences.

According to Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, a spokesperson for Iceland's Civil Protection Agency, sixty homes--or 10 per cent of the town's typical population--have already been evacuated. Many residents had not yet returned following the eruption last month, reported CNN.

Gudmundsdottir further stated that human life was not in danger. Police increased the alert level after the eruption took place. Moreover, in order to keep an eye on the situation, a helicopter from the Icelandic Coast Guard has also been sent in.

The meteorological service in Iceland had recorded an earthquake several hours prior to the eruption. Grindavik, located on the Reykjanes peninsula and roughly 70 kilometres (43 miles) southwest of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, was previously evacuated after weeks of seismic activity that culminated in a dramatic volcanic eruption that sent massive plumes of smoke and spurts of lava into the sky, CNN reported.

The fracture that formed during the eruption in December was around four kilometres long, but the crack that formed on Sunday was just 25 per cent of that length. The town is also the location of Iceland's well-known Blue Lagoon, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the nation due to its steaming geothermal water.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office announced on Friday that the risks related to volcanic cracks were considered to be more dangerous than in its earlier assessment, which is why the most recent evacuation order was issued.

Notably, Iceland is situated on a tectonic plate boundary that is constantly splitting apart, pushing North America and Eurasia apart along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country is home to 32 active volcanoes.