The Icelandic volcano erupts in plumes of fire with little notice

A volcano erupted without notice in southern Iceland on Saturday night, the latest in a series of eruptions in the area, threatening local infrastructure and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency.

Lava fountains erupted from the ground and a nearly three-kilometer-long fissure opened on the Reykjanes Peninsula around 8:30 p.m., the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. said. The eruption occurred near the town of Grindavik, the Svartsengi power plant and the Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most famous tourist attractions.

The meteorological agency said it had only received indications of a possible eruption about 40 minutes before it occurred. The office sent out its first moments of warning before the eruption began.

The Blue Lagoon and Grindavik were evacuated shortly after the eruption. according to RUV, the national broadcaster. Grindavik has a population of about 4,000, but there were few residents in the town at the time. About 700 visitors stayed at the Blue Lagoon.

Local media reported that lava flowed down the main road leading to Grindavik around 1 a.m. and was on its way to the town and the power plant. Both have built defensive barriers around themselves to protect them from lava.

On Sunday morning, Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, told reporters that the main risk was from two pipes carrying hot water from the Svartsengi geothermal power plant to homes on the peninsula.

The eruption was likely the largest of seven that have occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula since 2021, including four since December, the civil protection agency said in a report. rack. Before that, the peninsula lay dormant for 800 years.

Meteorologists have expressed concern that if the lava continues at the same rate, it could flow into the North Atlantic Ocean. Contact between lava and water can cause small explosions and dangerous gases.