A new volcanic eruption occurred this morning after 7:00 a.m. (8:00 a.m. in Italy) southwest of the Icelandic capital Rejkyavik. The eruption has resumed on the Reykjaness Peninsula, much further south than the one on 18 December, reports the Icelandic newspaper MorgunblaÐiÐ. The National Police Department of Public Security has declared a state of emergency.
At the moment it seems that a crack has opened in Sundhnúk, north of Grindavík, around 7.7 this morning and that it is already getting longer.
Sundnúkur is located on a watershed, so it is unclear where the lava can flow. Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said that "the situation is terrifying".
"It's scary to see how close the eruption in Grindavík is that started this morning," he said. This was reported by the Icelandic media. A photo taken by a mbl.is photographer on the Coast Guard helicopter clearly shows lava approaching the town of Grindavík, inhabited by fishermen who were evacuated in the night immediately after the eruption began. "This is the scenario we feared the most, lava near a built-up area. The lava is flowing into the garden," said one of the residents who had to leave their homes. Live images published overnight by local media show jets of glowing orange lava rising against the dark winter sky. This is the fifth volcanic eruption in Iceland in two years. Iceland is home to 57 active volcanic systems, the highest number in Europe, and straddles the Mid-Atlantic Plateau, a fissure in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
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