Iceland volcano dramatically erupts again as streams of lava reach town’s defensive walls

CNN
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A volcano in southwest Iceland erupted on Wednesday for the fifth time since December, spewing huge flows of lava that threaten to cut off the town of Grindavík and prompting the evacuation of the famous Blue Lagoon.

Dramatic videos and images from the scene showed fountains of burning lava gushing into the air along a 3.4-kilometer (two-mile) fissure near Mount Hagafell on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office said in a statement that “scientists’ first estimate is that the onset of this eruption is more vigorous than previous eruptions in the region.”

The eruption began around 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday following an earthquake in the Sundhnúks crater, Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported. The Met Office previously warned that a volcanic eruption was likely following “intense seismic activity” at the crater and a buildup of magma in its underground reservoir.

Lava flows cut two of three roads leading to the fishing town of Grindavík and moved steadily along a defensive barrier built to prevent the destruction of the town and key infrastructure, according to the Met Office.

“Lava is flowing outside the defense walls of Grindavík in several places, and lava is also starting to flow outside the walls of Svartsengi,” Víðir Reynisson of Icelandic Civil Defense told RUV.

He warned that Grindavík was at risk of being completely isolated, while adding that the defense barriers were holding strong.

“The houses to the west and in the farthest part of the city would have disappeared under the lava without the defensive walls, but they are still standing and defending themselves,” Reynisson was quoted as saying.

Grindavík, a town of about 3,000 people, was largely evacuated before a previous eruption in December. Residents and responders remaining in the town were urged to leave while they still can, although police told RUV that three residents were refusing to evacuate.

Electricity to Grindavík was cut Wednesday as a protective measure as lava flows moved closer to high-voltage lines and hot and cold pipes in the ground, said Kristinn Harðarsonar, the energy company’s production manager HS Orka, at RUV.

“Most of the high-voltage lines have disappeared, the pylons are seriously damaged and some are on fire,” Reynisson of Civil Defense said later.

Benedikt Ófeigsson of the Icelandic Met Office told RUV that the start of this eruption was more powerful than previously due to a greater accumulation of magma in the chamber.

“There are a lot more lava flows than we’ve seen before,” he was quoted as saying. “This is reflected in today’s massive lava flows.”

Iceland’s Foreign Ministry said in an article on X that there had been no disruption to international or domestic flights.

But for the third time in just over two months, the country’s famous geothermal spa and tourist hotspot, the Blue Lagoon, has been evacuated, according to its operations director.

Just under an hour’s drive from Iceland’s capital and largest city, Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon is one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions. The site is part of the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, a thick strip of land pointing west into the North Atlantic Ocean from Reykjavik.

Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions on the planet. Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley, with lava fields and cones.