Iceland volcano eruption miraculously dodges only town in its path – live
An unpredictable flow of lava is coursing just 4km away from Grindavik.
Icelanders hoping they will have homes to return to were given a glimmer of hope today as it seems lava flowing from a nearby volcano will avoid them.
For now, at least, experts stress.
Grindavik’s 3,000 residents were evacuated last month after thousands of earthquakes hinted that the Fagradalsfjall volcano was about to blow.
And it did just that last night, sending 330-foot-high lava fountains spurting into the sky out of a 4km-long fissure stretching across Sundhnúkagígar.
The southern tip of the fissure is about 3km away from the fishing village, according to the Icelandic Met Office.
Dr Matt Genge, a plantary scientist at Imperial College London, says that as lava flows downhill until it cools down, there’s ‘little that can be done’ to stop it.
The nearby Blue Lagoon has been forced to ‘temporarily close’ once again after re-opening only the day before as it seemed an eruption was no longer a concern.
With Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik, still open, the Foreign Office recommends travellers keep an eye on the latest updates from Icelandic officials.
