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Volcano in Iceland shoots fountains of lava into the sky
Spot on News - News English / VideoElephant
A volcano in Iceland has erupted after weeks of activity, with around 4,000 people being evacuated from Grindavik.
The Met Office said it was located around 2.5 miles north-east of Grindavik, with activity moving towards the town.
Around 100 to 200 cubic metres (3,530 to 7,060 cubic feet) of lava was said to be emerging per second, Icelandic seismologist, Kristin Jonsdottir, told the public broadcaster, RÚV.
Experts have since suggested that it won't cause as much disruption as the 2010 eruption, though local attractions such as the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa have understandably closed.
Iceland's foreign minister, Bjarni Benediktsson said on X/Twitter, that "there are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, and international flight corridors remain open".
"The jets [of lava] are quite high, so it appears to be a powerful eruption at the beginning," he said.
The Icelandic Met Office said it started around 10.17pm after a series of small earthquakes at about 9pm. No casualties have been reported at the time of writing.
Earthquake activity has increased since October, with locals on high alert for an eruption that could last several weeks.
The Met Office said the crack in the earth’s surface was around 3.5 km long and had grown rapidly.
"Seismic activity together with measurements from GPS devices indicate that the magma is moving to the southwest and the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik," it added.
People have since turned to social media with incredible images and footage shortly after the news broke.
Getty Images
Getty Images
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