Iceland declares state of emergency due to spectacular volcanic eruption (VIDEO)

Police in Iceland declared a state of emergency late Saturday as a new fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula began spewing lava, the fourth such eruption since December.

The eruption was reported by the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which released live images of a bright stream of magma and smoke emanating from the volcano.

The Department of Civil Defense and Emergency Management announced that it was sending a helicopter to determine the location of the new fissure and that the police had declared a state of emergency due to the explosion.

According to the IMO, it occurred near the same point as the previous eruption on February 8. The lava appeared to be flowing south, where dikes were installed to protect the fishing town of Grindavik, he added.

As it did on February 8, magma also flowed westward, and the size of the fissure was estimated at 2.9 kilometers, the IMO said.

The accumulation of magma on the ground “may lead to a new eruption of magma and an eruption,” the agency said Friday, which could come with “very little warning.”

The town of Grindavik, famous for its Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, was also evacuated, local media reported.

Nearly 4,000 people living in Grindavik were evacuated from the November 11 volcanic eruption and were only able to return to their homes on February 19.

The explosions on the Reykjanes peninsula raised fears for the Schwarzenegger power station, which supplies electricity and water to about 30,000 people in the area.

The plant has been evacuated and operated remotely since the first explosion in the area.

Iceland has around 33 active volcanic systems, the largest number in Europe.

AFP