Another volcanic eruption in Iceland: For the fourth time since December, lava has emerged from a fissure in the earth in the same region. The bright red-orange eruptions near the coastal town of Grindavík could be seen from the capital Reykjavik, just 40 kilometers northeast, photos on the RUV website showed on Saturday evening.
Violent volcanic eruption in Iceland: Blue Lagoon and Grindavík evacuated
The Blue Lagoon tourist attraction, where around 700 people were present, was immediately evacuated. A few residents who had since returned to Grindavík were also taken out of town for safety reasons. But there is no danger to people, it said. According to initial evaluations of aerial photographs, it was assumed that the eruption was the strongest to date.
“The main lava flow there flows exactly like the previous one, so it only takes a short time for the lava to reach the defenses protecting the power plant in Svartsengi again,” warns geophysicist Ari Trausti Guðmundsson loudly after an hour-long helicopter flight with the coast guard Icelandic media.
Strongest volcanic eruption in Iceland in months: “Could get out of control”
What matters now is how long the eruption lasts. “If it’s a few days, it can get out of control. If this outbreak lasts a little longer compared to the others, problems could arise.”
During the eruption in January, several houses in Grindavík had already fallen victim to the second volcanic eruption. The government made the seriousness of the situation clear back then and spoke of a “black day for Grindavík” and a “black day for all of Iceland”.
State of emergency in Grindavík after volcanic eruption in Iceland
“We must hold on to hope,” quoted RUV Fire Chief Einar Sveinn Jónsson. The closure of roads and defenses has so far gone according to plan.
Einar Hjörleifsson, a natural disaster expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said on Sunday morning that gas pollution that may result from the eruption was also being monitored. “We measured sulfur pollution on our measuring devices in Grindavík and are still monitoring it today.” The emergency services wore gas detectors and gas masks. “That night it crossed the line of discomfort in many places,” says the expert.
The eruption was again announced by strong seismic activity. Experts counted around 80 tremors. According to experts, the length of the crack in the earth was around 3.5 kilometers long. Rescue workers complained about tourists who had traveled to the region out of sensationalism.
Volcano in Iceland spewing lava: Grindavík in danger
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said early Sunday morning that the lava continued to flow south and southeast at an estimated speed of one kilometer per hour. The scenario that the lava reaches the sea must be taken into account.
Some of the lava is also flowing towards the protective barriers for the coastal town of Grindavík, which was evacuated in November, and is now only around 200 meters away from them. The advance warning phase for the eruption was very short: the first warning to the Ministry of Civil Protection was received only 40 minutes before the first eruption began.
Rescue teams in action: Several regions in Iceland evacuated after volcanic eruption
The former President of Iceland, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, posted impressive pictures of the lava on X and wrote: “New volcanic eruption in the Grindavik region of Iceland. Stronger than the previous ones! The opening of the floor is over 3 km long; burning lava flows out of it. The Icelandic rescue teams made sure everyone was safe.”