Volcano erupts in Iceland, sending lava into fishing city | Volcanoes Information

Icelandic President Gudni Johannesson describes catastrophe as a ‘black day’ for nation, although no fatalities reported.

A volcano has erupted in Iceland, sending molten lava flows to the outskirts of a small fishing city and engulfing properties.

A minimum of three homes have been set alight on Sunday as lava reached the sting of the port of Grindavik, based on stay photographs broadcast on public tv.

There have been no stories of deaths or accidents and airline flights weren’t affected.

Iceland’s President Gudni Johannesson described the catastrophe as a “black day” for his nation.

“No lives are in peril, though infrastructure could also be underneath menace,” Johannesson mentioned on the social media web site X.

The eruption occurred simply earlier than 8am native time (8:00 GMT) after native authorities evacuated the 4,000-strong inhabitants of the city following a sequence of small earthquakes, the Icelandic Meteorological Workplace mentioned.

A crack that opened within the floor about 450 metres (500 yards) from Grindavik on Sunday morning had changed into a fissure measuring about 900 metres (984 yards) lengthy as of 6.45pm, the Meteorological Workplace mentioned.

A second fissure opened at about noon on the sting of city, measuring about 100 metres (109 yards) by night, based on the workplace.

It’s the second time the volcano positioned southwest of the capital Reykjavik has erupted in lower than a month and the North Atlantic nation’s fifth volcanic eruption in lower than three years.

Grindavik was evacuated in November after giant cracks opened within the earth prematurely of an eruption on December 18.

Earlier than Sunday’s eruption, emergency employees had been constructing defensive partitions across the city, which residents had returned to on December 22, however had not accomplished work on the boundaries.

Native resident Sveinn Ari Gudjonsson described the catastrophe as “tragic” for the close-knit group, which he likened to a household.

“It’s unreal, it’s like watching a movie,” Gudjonsson, 55, instructed the AFP information company.

Iceland, which is residence to about 370,000 folks and positioned some 1,300km (807 miles) northwest of the UK, is residence to greater than 30 energetic volcanoes, making the north European island a primary vacation spot for volcano tourism.