Iceland has issued a warning that there is a significant chance of a volcanic eruption following a series of hundreds of earthquakes.
Icelandic authorities are getting ready for a potential volcanic activity following a series of earthquakes that have caused a coastal town in the southern part of the country to evacuate and led to a state of emergency. The Icelandic Meteorological Office has issued a warning stating that there is a high probability of an eruption occurring in the next few days.
There was an increase in earthquakes that prompted officials in Iceland to evacuate Grindavík, a small fishing town located an hour away from the capital city of Reykjavík. The town, which has a population of approximately 3,600 people, is famous for popular attractions such as the Blue Lagoon, a spa with natural hot springs, and is situated about 15 miles from the country’s main airport.
As a precautionary measure, the department of civil protection and emergency management for the country announced that Grindavík was evacuated this week. They also stated that there was no immediate danger to the safety of its residents. In response, shelters were set up in eastern areas for those who had to leave their homes in Grindavík.
November 11, 2023
Later in the social media discussion, Benediktsson stated that there is a significant possibility of a volcanic eruption.
According to him, earthquakes are a regular occurrence in Iceland and are limited to specific areas. There are no flight disruptions to and from Iceland, and international flight routes are still accessible.
According to the Associated Press, officials raised the aviation alert level to orange during the evacuation, which indicates a higher likelihood of a volcanic eruption. This was in response to the significant eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in April 2010, which caused major disruptions to travel.
Source: cbsnews.com