A volcano erupted in southwest Iceland, sending molten lava into a nearby town and setting houses ablaze, authorities say, in the second eruption the area has seen in weeks.
There was no immediate threat to the residents of Grindavik, a small fishing town, which is under evacuation orders.
A webcam set up by Iceland’s public broadcaster RUV showed a stream of lava flowing into Grindavík, with the burning buildings just metres away from other houses.
Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, a spokesperson for Iceland’s Civil Protection Agency had warned CNN earlier that it was “quite possible” for lava to reach the town and damage infrastructure even as it was protected by anti-lava walls, and that authorities were tracking the flow.
On Saturday, Iceland’s National Commissioner of Police ordered residents in Grindavík, first evacuated in November, to evacuate again by Monday night after volcanic fissures opened on roads in the area.
Sixty households – 10 percent of the town’s usual population – have been evacuated so far, Gudmundsdottir said, adding that many people had not yet returned after last month’s eruption. There was no danger to human life, Gudmundsdottir said. (CNN)
