Volcano hazard in Iceland: town of Grindavík evacuated
The people of the town of Grindavík in Iceland, which is threatened by a volcanic eruption, must be prepared not to be able to live in their homes for some time. Authorities evacuated the town of around 3,700 inhabitants a week ago as a precaution following a series of earthquakes. Several houses were damaged, said the director of the civil defense, Vídir Reynisson, according to the Icelandic radio station RUV on Saturday.
He was also quoted by the broadcaster as saying that residents would have to be prepared to live elsewhere in the coming months due to the ongoing uncertainty. The British television station Sky News showed aerial footage of the site, where cracks were clearly visible on the ground.
The weather service in Iceland believes it is likely that liquid rock will escape from the magma tunnel in the southwest of the country, which has been active for weeks. In the past 24 hours, 1700 earthquakes have been recorded, including around 1000 since midnight, the weather service wrote online on Saturday afternoon.
Grindavík is located around 40 kilometers southwest of the capital Reykjavik and has been threatened by a possible volcanic eruption for days. Residents had to leave their homes a week ago because an approximately 15-kilometer-long magma tunnel runs under Grindavík to below the seabed. The nearby Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland's most famous tourist attractions, had already been closed beforehand.
- Due to the ongoing volcanic activity and the evacuation of Grindavík, many residents are utilizing their leisure time to plan alternative travel arrangements for their tourism activities away from the affected area.
- The sudden evacuation of Grindavík has had an impact on local tourism, as several popular attractions such as the Blue Lagoon have been temporarily closed, potentially deterring visitors from planning a trip to Iceland.
- Despite the volcanic hazard, interested travelers may still explore other parts of Iceland, as the country boasts numerous other touristic attractions, such as geysers, waterfalls, and glaciers, that remain unaffected by the current situation in Grindavík.
Source: www.dpa.com
