Volcano erupts in southwest Iceland; Blue Lagoon spa town evacuated

A volcano began erupting in southwestern Iceland on Tuesday, just hours after authorities evacuated a nearby community and the Blue Lagoon spa.

Recently, a volcanic fissure opened near the town of Grindavik, causing flames and smoke to shoot through the air. Approximately 40 homes in the area had to be evacuated due to the eruption, as reported by national broadcaster RUV. Grindavik, situated on the Reykjanes Peninsula, had already experienced a significant evacuation the previous year when a volcano that had been dormant for 800 years suddenly became active.

Webcams captured the molten rock spewing towards the community, creating a frightening spectacle. Sirens blared in Grindavik, alerting residents to the danger, while even the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, a major tourist destination in Iceland, had to be evacuated as a precaution.

The Iceland Met Office issued a statement noting that the fissure had grown to about 500 meters in length and had breached the protective barrier to the north of Grindavik. They also warned that the crack was expanding and it was possible it might extend further south in the future, posing potential risks to the surrounding areas.

The magma flow began at about 6:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) accompanied by an intense earthquake swarm similar to previous eruptions, the Icelandic Met Office said.

Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic. The most disruptive incident in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed clouds of ash into the atmosphere and disrupted trans-Atlantic air travel for months.