A volcano in Iceland that erupted on Saturday for the fourth time since December was still spewing smoke and lava into the air on Monday, prompting the country’s government to declare a state of emergency in the south of the island.
Around 1700 GMT, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said volcanic eruption activity had been relatively stable since late on Sunday. It was now focused at two locations along the eruptive fissure, the office said in an update on the situation.
Man-made barriers have been successful in steering the lava away from infrastructure including the Svartsengi geothermal power plant and Grindavik, a fishing town of some 4,000 residents.
Footage from public broadcaster RUV showed lava flowing a few hundred metres from the town, which was evacuated during an eruption in November and again during another one in February.
The lava looked unlikely to reach the sea, Iceland’s meteorological office said, adding that hazardous gases from the volcano were unlikely to reach Reykjavik due to strong winds.
Man-made barriers have been successful in steering the lava away from infrastructure including the Svartsengi geothermal power plant and Grindavik, a fishing town of some 4,000 residents.
Footage from public broadcaster RUV showed lava flowing a few hundred metres from the town, which was evacuated during an eruption in November and again during another one in February.
The lava looked unlikely to reach the sea, Iceland’s meteorological office said, adding that hazardous gases from the volcano were unlikely to reach Reykjavik due to strong winds.
Reykjavik’s Keflavik Airport said it remained fully operational. The eruption was the seventh on the Reykjanes peninsula since 2021, when geological systems that had lain dormant for around 800 years again became active.You can see the lava is still flowing….🌋#Iceland pic.twitter.com/46E5lcsxRr
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) March 18, 2024
Source: Reuters, BBC
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