A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted Wednesday, spewing red streams of lava in the latest display of nature's power, triggering the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
The eruption began in the early afternoon following a series of earthquakes north of Grindavik, a coastal town of 3,800 people that was also evacuated.
The Met Office said lava was shooting about 50 meters (165 feet) into the sky from a fissure about 1 kilometer (1,100 yards) long.
The Blue Lagoon thermal spa was evacuated before the eruption began, national broadcaster RUV said.
To prevent further damage, man-made barriers have been built to steer lava away from infrastructure including the Svartsengi geothermal power plant, the spa and Grindavi
The latest eruption is the fifth since December.
Another eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula recently ended after spewing fountains of molten rock for almost eight weeks.
🇮🇸 Right now, a new volcanic eruption has begun on the Icelandic peninsula of Reykjanes.#Iceland #Reykjanes #nature #volcano pic.twitter.com/Qc0II5zsv3
— Attentive Media (@AttentiveCEE) May 29, 2024
Authorities had warned of the risk of renewed volcanic activity in the area just south of the capital Reykjavik as studies showed magma accumulated underground.
The fiery spectacle underlines the challenges the island nation of almost 400,000 people face as scientists have warned eruptions could happen over and over in Reykjanes for decades or even centuries.
The eruption was the eighth on the peninsula, home to some 30,000 people, since 2021 when geological systems that were dormant for some 800 years again became active.
Previous incidents had disrupted district heating, closed key roads and even razed several houses in the Grindavik fishing town, where only a few residents have since returned.
