Iceland's Volcano erupts, fiery lava sets houses on fire

Aerial footage shows homes in the small fishing town, located approximately 25 miles from Iceland's capital Reykjavík, being surrounded by fiery rivers of lava before being consumed by the scorching inferno.

‼️RAGANRÖK – The magma has inhaled entire houses in Grindavik, Iceland, after the recent volcanic eruption, - reportedly from January 14, 2024 pic.twitter.com/RBsEs8GcOq— Mister J. - مسٹر جے (@Angryman_J) January 15, 2024

The eruption began on Sunday morning, around 8 a.m. local time, with a second fissure opening up at noon, and experts warn that more fissures are expected in the coming days. The volcano on the 'Reykjanes peninsula' erupted, cutting off a main road into Grindavik and forcing residents to evacuate.

The country has raised the alert level to "emergency" - the highest of the three-level scale which means the threat to people, communities, property or the environment.

Met Office expert Benedikt Halldórsson told local news “I don't think it's possible to imagine anything worse than it [the volcano] erupting in a settlement and lava, lowing o

Iceland's Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said the government would be organising a meeting to discuss housing for evacuated residents. She added said

"Today is a black day for Grindavik and today is a black day for all of Iceland, but the sun will rise again. Together we will deal with this shock and whatever may come. Our thoughts and prayers are with you."

Lava slows down after a day of destruction

However, according to a recent report by BBC, Lava flows have slowed in southwest Iceland after a volcanic eruption that has destroyed several homes. A volcano erupted on Sunday on the Reykjanes peninsula, spilling molten rock into Grindavik and leading to the evacuation of the local population.

The Grindavik volcano last erupted on December 18, 2020, causing the evacuation of its 4,000 residents and the closure of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

Residents of Grindavik were spared the last eruption, as the lava flowed in a different direction and away from the town. This is the fifth eruption in the Svartsengi volcanic system since 2001, after being dormant for 800 years.

Iceland has 33 active volcano systems, the most in Europe, and is a hotspot for seismic and volcanic activity due to its location between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, two of the world's largest.

(Input from agencies)