Hundreds of people are facing holiday panic as a volcano erupted near a tourist hotspot in Iceland and left many displaced. The eruption took place near the popular Blue Lagoon Thermal Spas on Wednesday night.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office’s (IMO) official report said the volcanic activity started on the Sundhnukagigar fissure outside the village of Grindavik at 11.14pm. This is located on the southeast of the island, which is often the most popular with tourists. The famous Golden Circle route is also located in the south, and is travelled by around 2.2million visitors each year.
Grindavik is a small fishing village located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is around three miles from the thermal spa. Images of the eruption have been shared around, which show orange lava spewing from the top of the volcano cone.
(Image: Getty Images)
The lava also spread slowly down the volcano, which led to officials promptly evacuating the area for the safety of the residents. So far, about 200 people were evacuated from Grindavik. IMO specialist Benedikt Ofeigsson told public radio RAS2 that no buildings or infrastructure is currently in danger.
Eruptions had not taken place in the area for around 800 years until March 2021, when seismic activity seemed to increase rapidly. Volcanologists had since warned that the area had entered a new era.
“The outpourings are lower and the lava is not flowing as fast,” said Ofeigsson. The previous eruption the area was much bigger, with 4,000 residents having been evacuated last August.
All the houses in the area were sold to the state after suffering damage. “About fifty houses were occupied in recent nights,” revealed the civil protection department. Earlier in the year three houses in the village were engulfed by flames.
(Image: Public Defense Department of the)
Local businesses have closed as a precaution, with the Blue Lagoon sharing a statement online: “Due to a volcanic eruption that commenced in Sundhnúksgígar on November 20, we took the precautionary measure of evacuating and temporarily closing all our operational units.
“Blue Lagoon will be closed today, Thursday, November 21, we will reassess the situation throughout the day.”
Volcanic activity is expected to continue. Iceland has 33 active volcanic systems, more than any other European country. The nation is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a fault between continents which causes earthquakes and other natural disasters.
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