Iceland volcano eruption forces evacuations
A volcano has erupted in southwest Iceland, forcing evacuations of tourists and locals, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
Lava has been pouring from a 1.2km-long crack near the town of Grindavik and the famous Blue Lagoon spa.
Several earthquakes hit the area before the eruption. Some residents chose to stay, despite warnings. “People had been asked to ‘leave the danger zone,’” said police commissioner Ulfar Ludviksson.
A hot water pipe has burst in the northern part of Grindavík, confirming significant cracking within the town, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The volcano’s activity later slowed.
Restaurant owner Thormar Omarrson, who moved away in 2024, said leaving was “heartbreaking.” He added, “When you live there in your home you want to be left alone in your home.”
Most of Grindavik’s 4,000 residents evacuated in 2023. The latest magma stretch is the longest since November, and gas is blowing northeast toward the capital.
The area, part of the Reykjanes Peninsula, has seen several eruptions since 2021. Before that, it was quiet for 800 years.
Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and has 33 active volcano systems.
Earlier it was reported that Myanmar on Monday declared seven days of national mourning over a powerful earthquake of a 7.7-magnitude that struck central Myanmar last Friday.