A volcanic eruption, the fourth in three years, began Monday night in Iceland, in an area where seismic activity had been very intense since early November, the Icelandic Meteorological Institute (IMO) said. "An effusive eruption began a few kilometers northeast of Grindavík," shortly after 22:30 GMT, the IMO said in a statement, adding that the aviation color code had been changed to red.
However, "at the moment, there are no disruptions to arrivals or departures at Keflavik Airport," Icelandic airport operator ISAVIA said on its website.
WATCH: Moment volcano erupts near Grindavík, Iceland pic.twitter.com/3CaFcnKpbv
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The Reykjanes Peninsula, south of the capital Reykjavik, had been spared eruptions for eight centuries, until March 2021. Since then, there have been two more, in August 2022 and July 2023, signing, for volcanologists, a resumption of volcanic activity in the region. Thirty-two volcanic systems are considered active in this land of fire and ice, the most volcanic region in Europe.
On 11 November, residents of Grindavik, a picturesque village of 4,000 people, were evacuated as a precaution after hundreds of earthquakes caused by magma moving beneath the earth's crust, a precursor to a volcanic eruption. Since then, they have only been allowed to go home during certain daytime slots.
With AFP
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