ICELANDIC DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL PROTECTION AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT / Getty
An Icelandic volcano erupted in the early hours of Sunday morning, billowing smoke and sending flowing lava toward a small fishing town.
Residents of Grindavík, in the southwest of Iceland, were told to evacuate at around 3 a.m. after "an intense series of earthquakes" began, according to the Icelandic Met Office (IMO).
The town is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 25 miles southwest of Reykjavik, the country's capital.
It is the second time residents have had to evacuate in recent months, and seismic activity has shot up, heightening the risk of volcanic eruptions.
Over 200 earthquakes were measured in the area over Saturday night, prompting the authorities to warn "that the possibility of an eruption is high and that it could occur imminently."
The seismic activity caused a fissure to open up in the ground, and at about 8 a.m., the eruption started sending lava toward the town.
"Lava is now flowing toward Grindavík. Based on measurements from the Coast Guard's helicopter, the perimeter is now about 450 meters (1,500ft) from the northernmost houses in the town," the IMO said.
No lives are in danger, and flights have not been affected, Iceland's President Guðni Jóhannesson tweeted.
He warned that infrastructure in the area may be under threat but said that measures were being taken to defend the town.
A new volcanic eruption began in the early morning just north of Grindavík. The town had already been successfully evacuated overnight and no lives are in danger, although infrastructure may be under threat. No interruptions to flights. For updated information follow @RuvEnglish pic.twitter.com/9mlOiMohC4
— President of Iceland (@PresidentISL) January 14, 2024
However, significant damage to infrastructure and homes is expected, and the IMO suggested that the volcano had bypassed defenses.
"According to the first images from the Coast Guard's surveillance flight, a crack has opened on both sides of the defenses that have begun to be built north of Grindavík," the IMO said.
Over 3,000 people live in Grindavík, a busy fishing community on the Reykjanes peninsula.
Volcanos on the peninsula had been dormant for 800 years until 2021.
Experts recorded a 10-mile intrusion or fissure of magma moving underneath the region, prompting fears that the eruptions could be imminent.
In November, Iceland declared a state of emergency after 2,000 earthquakes were recorded. The first eruption occurred mid-December, causing the town's 3,800 residents to evacuate.
SERGEI GAPON / Getty
Sigurdur Leosson, a resident of Grindavík, previously told Business Insider what it was like to flee his home as the volcano erupted.
"It was too scary to stay. There were cracks in the roads, and things were moving. Everyone felt like they were running for their lives," Leosson said.
"We rushed to take a few pictures or photo albums, things that have some sentimental value. We feel lucky we managed to escape with most of the things that we would miss. Most people didn't."
