Iceland violent volcanic flare-up triggers state of emergency
A state of emergency has been declared in southern Iceland after another volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula – the fourth since December. Lava has reached the eastern defences around the small, evacuated town of Grindavik, local media said. The powerful and fast lava flows began late on Saturday – but the authorities say they have since diminished significantly. Activity around the fissure – initially 3km long (1.9 miles) – has dissipated. Iceland’s Meteorological Office said the streams of lava were still flowing on Sunday, but the rate at which they were moving had begun to slow down. The director of Iceland’s civil defence, Vídir Reynisson, said all that could be done to prepare for the flow of lava had been done, and the biggest concern was the impact on infrastructure. Pools of lava gathering near defences were also of concern, he added. The eruption began after 20:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday, north of Grindavik, according to the country’s civil defence service, This is a similar location to the eruption that began on 8 December. Footage of the explosion showed clouds of smoke and glowing magma oozing and bubbling from vents in the earth. The explosion has not affected the main international airport, which lies to the north-west of Grindavik (BBC)
