A volcanic eruption on Saturday evening in Iceland near the town of Grindavik prompted evacuations.
Per authorities with the country’s Meteorological Office, the eruption burst through a fissure in the earth approximately two miles long on the Reykjanes Peninsula, the Associated Press (AP) reported, noting the eruption was the fourth in three months.
Aerial video footage shows the eruption with significant lava flow and smoke rising into the sky, according to the Guardian News:
The outlet noted law enforcement officials have declared a state of emergency.
The AP report continued:
The Met Office had warned for weeks that magma — semi-molten rock — was accumulating under the ground, making an eruption likely.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Blue Lagoon thermal spa, one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions, when the eruption began, national broadcaster RUV said.
On its website Saturday, the spa announced it was temporarily closed due to the situation.
“We will remain closed through Sunday, March 17. Further updates and information will be provided here as they become available around noon tomorrow, Sunday,” the site read.
Video footage shows a few people enjoying the water at the spa’s geothermal pool as sirens are heard in the background. Moments later, the camera shows red clouds hanging in the sky in the distance, according to the Telegraph’s clip:
A tourist who was evacuated said she and others were about to have dinner at a restaurant when the sirens went off and they were told to evacuate.
NASA describes a volcano as “an opening on the surface of a planet or moon that allows material warmer than its surroundings to escape from its interior.”
“When this material escapes, it causes an eruption. An eruption can be explosive, sending material high into the sky. Or it can be calmer, with gentle flows of material,” the site read.
According to the AP, the eruption happened near Grindavik where nearly 4,000 people live.
A screen grab from a video shows volcanic eruption occurred for the fourth time in the last 3 months near the town of Grindavik, located in Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula on March 17, 2024. (Almannavarnadeild / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Emergency services are seen near to the site of the volcanic eruption on March 16, 2024 near Grindavik, Iceland. The Icelandic Meteorological Office confirmed a volcanic eruption started between Stora Skogfell and Hagafell on Saturday evening, the fourth time since December. (Micah Garen/Getty Images)
The town is near the capital, “Reykjavik, that was evacuated before the initial eruption in December. A few residents who had returned to their homes were evacuated again Saturday,” the outlet said.
The article noted that volcanic eruptions are nothing new for Iceland’s officials who know exactly what to do when they happen. In addition, authorities have not confirmed any deaths due to the recent incidents.
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