Star Metro - New volcanic eruption threatens Icelandic fishing village

It was the North Atlantic nation's fifth volcanic eruption in under three years.

The most recent occurred just weeks ago on December 18 in the same region, southwest of the capital Reykjavik.

The eruption began at 8:00 am (0800 GMT) on Sunday, the Meteorological Office (IMO) said.

Jets of glowing orange lava flowed out and a huge smoke cloud rose against the sky at sunrise.

"A crack has opened up on both sides of the dykes that have begun to be built north of Grindavik," the Met Office wrote.

"From measurements from the Icelandic coastguard helicopter, the (lava's) perimeter is now about 450 metres (yards) from the northernmost houses in the town," it said.

Seismic activity had intensified overnight and the few dozen remaining residents of Grindavik were evacuated around 3:00 am, public broadcaster RUV reported.

"The town had already been successfully evacuated in the night and no lives are in danger," said President Guoni Johannesson on X, formerly Twitter.

"Infrastructure may be under threat," he wrote, adding that airline flights had not been affected.

Most of the 4,000-strong population of Grindavik had moved out as a precaution on November 11 after scientists said a tunnel of magma was shifting beneath them.

A series of small earthquakes -- sometimes hundreds per day -- created large cracks in roads, homes and buildings.

Shortly after the December 18 eruption, residents were allowed to return for brief periods.

They were authorised to regain their homes permanently on December 23 but only a few dozen chose to do so.

- Geothermal power plant -

Late on Saturday, authorities had ordered an emergency evacuation to be completed by Monday due to growing seismic activity and its impact on the large cracks already present in the town.

On Wednesday a 51-year-old Icelandic workman who was repairing a crack in a residential garden disappeared when the ground suddenly gave way beneath him.

He fell more than 30 metres. The intensive search to find him was called off on Friday because the area was too dangerous.

Authorities accelerated the evacuation order overnight when seismic activity intensified.

"What matters is where the lava flows. It is now very important to monitor it," IMO volcanologist Kristin Jonsdottir told RUV.

Grindavik mayor Fannar Jonasson said the new fissure "creates a new situation" of concern but, he added on RUV, "there's nothing we can do".

Officials are keeping a close eye on the area's Svartsengi geothermal plant, which provides electricity and water to the 30,000 residents of the Reykjanes peninsula.

Workmen have been building a wall to protect the facility since November.

Until March 2021, the Reykjanes peninsula had not experienced an eruption for eight centuries.

Fresh eruptions occurred in August 2022, and July and December 2023, leading volcanologists to say it was probably the start of a new era of activity in the region.

Iceland is home to 33 active volcano systems, the highest number in Europe.

It straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

V.Watson--SMC