Reykjavik, Feb 9: A volacano in the southwest Iceland erupted on Thursday morning for the second time this year, media reports said.The eruption began at 6 am local time, northeast of Sylingarfell mountain. Magma intrusion north of the town of Grindavik began half an hour earlier following an earthquake, national broadcaster RUV reported.
The location is close to the eruption that started on December 18, 2023. The fissure is 3 km long, with the lava flowing to the west. There is no immediate threat to Grindavik, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa and one of Iceland’s most popular attractions, was evacuated this morning when the eruption started, reports said.
Helga Arnadottir, director of sales, operations, and services at the Blue Lagoon, told local media that the guests had been transferred to hotels in nearby towns Keflavik and Reykjavik.
According to media reports, the Blue Lagoon will be closed on Thursday.
On November 10, 2023, authorities ordered the evacuation of Grindavik, though Icelandic experts told RUV there was no immediate threat to the fishing town.