Volcano erupts near Iceland’s capital, spewing red hot lava
- Lava and smoke were seen spewing from in a fissure in the side of Fagradalsfjall mountain, which last year saw an eruption that lasted six months
- Tourists and residents were warned to avoid the area, and a ‘code red’ was declared to prohibit planes from flying over the site
A volcano erupted in Iceland on Wednesday near the capital Reykjavik, spewing red hot lava and plumes of smoke out of a fissure in an uninhabited valley after several days of intense seismic activity.
The eruption was around 40km (25 miles) from Reykjavik, near the site of the Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwestern Iceland that erupted for six months in March-September 2021, mesmerising tourists and spectators who flocked to the scene.
On Wednesday, a strip of glowing red lava could be seen gushing from the ground, spouting 20-30 metres (65-100 feet) into the air before spreading into a blanket of smouldering black rock.
As it cooled, bluish smoke rose up from the hilly landscape on the Reykjanes peninsula.
About 100 curious onlookers quickly made their way to the scene, bewitched by the sight of the bubbling lava and the intense roar that could be heard rising up from the ground as the lava erupted.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which monitors seismic activity, estimated the size of the fissure at about 300 metres. It said the eruption started in the Meradalir valley, less than one from the scene of last year’s eruption.