Thousands flee as fears volcanic eruption could split open and destroy town

12 November 2023 , 15:10

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Fagradalsfjall volcano seen erupting in 2021 (Image: Getty Images)

Fears are growing that a volcanic eruption in Iceland could destroy a whole town - with 3,400 people already evacuated.

A state of emergency has been declared and residents have left Grindavik after seismic activity moved south towards it. Monitoring indicated that a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now extends under the community, Iceland's Meteorological Office said.

"At this stage, it is not possible to determine exactly whether and where magma might reach the surface," the Meteorological Office warned. And Icelandic politician Gisili Olafsson said that magma thrusts are causing 1.2 metre movements to happen in just minutes, rednering the situation now “even more grave”.

He said: “The situation in Grinvadik continues to become even more grave than before. The town has already suffered considerable damage from the earthquakes and from the shifts in the ground as the magma thrusts itself upwards. Scientists measured a 1.2 metre sharp movement in a matter of minutes.

The road to Grindavik is closed by the police (Getty Images)

"The town has been entirely evacuated as scientists report that the magma is getting closer to the surface. They are now seeing a 15 kilometre long magma intrusion might turn into an 8-12 kilometre long fissure vent eruption with extensive amounts of lava flows as the magma chamber underneath the area is two factors larger than in previous eruptions on Reykjanes in the past few years. There is also a chance that the eruption will open up under the ocean outside of Grindavik resulting in an explosive eruption with extensive ash clouds.”

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There are fears that there could be another massive eruption (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

And Danielle Rodriguez, who lives close to Grinvadik, has written on social media about being the "most scared she has been in her life" as she felt the road would crack open when they abandoned the area. She said: “In that moment I felt the most scared for my life I have ever been, the ground started shaking so much I had to grab a hold of the car and honest to god for a good 30 seconds I felt as though the ground was going to crack open and take us both.”

Authorities have raised their aviation alert to orange, indicating an increased risk of a volcanic eruption. These pose a serious hazard to aviation because they can spew highly abrasive ash into the atmosphere, where it can cause jet engines to fail, damage flight control systems and reduce visibility. A major eruption in Iceland in 2010 caused widespread disruption to air travel between Europe and North America, costing airlines an estimated £2.45 billion as they cancelled more than 100,000 flights.

Tim Hanlon