The Sunddhnúksgígar volcano in Iceland has erupted this morning, sending lava flying and raising fears for tourists at a nearby hot spot who have been evacuated for their safety
Tourists have been evacuated from a popular hot spot as lava began flowing from the Sunddhnúksgígar volcano in Iceland, leading to fears of an imminent eruption.
Experts say seismic activity has increased in recent weeks, indicating pressure at the eruption site is increasing. Ahead of a possible eruption, which could begin at any moment with very little warning, the popular Blue Lagoon – where visitors can relax in the geothermic waters of the spa- has been evacuated according to local reports. The Icelandic Met Office said in an update: “An earthquake swarm began at around 6:30 AM this morning on the Sundhnúks Crater Row.
“The swarm is located between Sýlingarfell and Stóra-Skógfell, in a similar are as seen prior to previous eruptions. The earthquake swarm was followed by a clear change in deformation and pressure changes in boreholes operated by HS Orka. Both independent measurements were a clear sign of the onset of a magma intrusion.
“No magma has reached the surface as of now. But, an eruption is likely to occur.”
The five-star resort Blue Lagoon evacuated its 200 guests this morning in around 40 minutes amid concerns for their safety. Helga Árnadóttir, Blue Lagoon’s sales, marketing and development manager said: “Guests are actually arriving or on their way to another hotel and employees are going home. This went well, just like before.”
Residents of the nearby town of Grindavík were also advised to leave their homes as a result of the ongoing incident. Úlfar Lúðvíksson, the police chief in Suðurnes, told Vísir some people have refused to heed the warning. The chief said: “There are some who don’t want to leave. We are not going to force people to leave, but we are making these people aware of the situation.”
People in the town have reported heavy earthquakes so far today. There are also reports of “deformation” under the streets, raising fears of cracking in the town.
Previous eruptions of the volcano have caused few problems for air travel, although experts are keeping a close eye on the feared eruption.
