Icelandic volcano erupts as fishing town ordered to evacuate again
A volcano has erupted in southwest Iceland just weeks after another eruption in the area, putting residents of a nearby town under fresh risk, CNN reports.
On Saturday, Iceland’s National Commissioner of Police ordered residents in the fishing town of Grindavík, first evacuated in November, to evacuate again by Monday night after volcanic fissures opened on roads in the area.
Following the eruption, police have raised the alert level, the agency said, adding that an Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter has also been deployed to monitor the situation.
Hours before the eruption, Iceland’s meteorological office had reported an earthquake.
Grindavík, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Iceland’s capital city Reykjavík on the Reykjanes peninsula, was previously evacuated following weeks of seismic activity which culminated in a dramatic volcanic eruption that expelled bursts of lava and sent huge plumes of smoke into the sky.
The latest evacuation order comes after the Icelandic Meteorological Office reported on Friday that hazards associated with volcanic fissures were deemed higher risk than in its previous assessment.
