Red lava flows continue to cross the snowy landscapes of the Reykjanes peninsula, in the southwest of the country. The alert level was raised after the rupture of a pipe supplying the region with hot water. Some 28,000 people live in this area, one of the most populated in Iceland.
The color contrast seems straight out of a painting. Red lava flows continue to cross the landscapes of the Reykjanes peninsula, southwest of Iceland, after the third volcanic eruption that the country has experienced since mid-December. A natural phenomenon which is accompanied by a cloud of smoke 3 km high visible from the capital Reykjavik. The authorities are closely monitoring developments following the explosion of a pipe supplying the region with hot water.
Hot water shortage
Civil Protection declared a state of emergency early Thursday afternoon in the face of the shortage which is now affecting Sudurnes. “It is important that Sudurnes residents and businesses save electricity and hot water”, she indicates in a press release cited by AFP. Some 28,000 people live in this region, which is one of the most populated in Iceland, and whose electricity and water supply comes from the Svartsengi geothermal power plant. Previously evacuated, it has been operating remotely since the eruption of December 18. Dikes were built to protect it.
The hot water supply in this region now relies solely on water stored in tanks, which can last up to 12 hours in the event of saving measures. This new volcanic eruption is taking place about five kilometers north of Grindavik, a town of nearly 4,000 inhabitants already evacuated in November. Thirty-three volcanic systems are considered active in this country of fire and ice, the most volcanic region in Europe.
The editorial staff of TF1info with AFP