Iceland town without water or power after houses engulfed by lava - live updates

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Four feared dead in horror plane crash as wreckage spotted near remote volcano

'We will not give up' urges President Jóhannesson

In an address to the nation, Iceland's President has paid tribute to the efforts of emergency service crews and geoscientists working to monitor and control the situation.

In his speech, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson also urged for Icelandics to show "compassion and empathy" to one another, particularly to residents of Grindavik - some of whom may be left without a home for the foreseeable future.

Mr Jóhannesson said: "We Icelanders do this together. We will not give up,"

President Gudni Johannesson (AFP)

'No one going into Grindavik' says Civil Defence chief

Víðir Reynisson, head of Civil Defence, has told Iceland media that "no one is going into Grindavík until we are absolutely sure that it will be OK".

The town has been entirely evacuated although there are deep concerns for farm animals and some pets which may still be there. A total of three houses have been seen catching fire.

'Sun again will rise', PM says

Iceland's Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir has urged for calm amidst the crisis. She said: "Today is a black day for Grindavík 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."

Katrin Jakobsdottir, Prime Minister of Iceland (@_Arctic_Circle)

Eruption 'worst event of its kind in half a century'

Iceland's head of Civil Defence has labelled the eruption the country's most serious event of its kind in more than 50 years.

Víðir Reynisson said the last eruption on this scale was in January 1973. He said: "Today's events are such that they will be long remembered, and we are probably just seeing the beginning of a chain of events that will continue and be difficult to deal with."

Response team's work went well, say police

Úlfar Lúðvíksson, police chief in Suðurnes, says that all the work of the response teams went well today, despite the scale of the disaster.

He says work has continued today on the construction of the protective walls, and they have already proven their worth by diverting some of the lava flow away from the town.

'More fissures could open'

Lava is still flowing towards Grindavik this evening, while the risk of more issures opening 'cannot be ruled out', Iceland's Meteorological Office has said.

Red alert issued as Hawaii's Kilauea volcano starts erupting and spewing lava

Three houses have now caught fire since the eruption. Lovísa Mjöll Guðmundsdóttir, a natural hazard expert for the service, said the situation however seemed to be "stabilising".

GPS data taken at 1pm GMT showed a lot of deformation in the area, although this has since reduced slightly.

Warnings had been raised less than 48 hours before eruption

The Department of Civil Protection had already declared an emergency level alert after advance warnings of volcanic activity.

The government agency said: "Based on the Civil Protection Department’s hazard assessment issued on January 12, it is not considered justifiable to continue to dwell in Grindavík, in light of public safety considerations." Evacuation orders are expected to remain in place for the next three weeks, they added.

The IMO had upgraded the risk level from volcanic fissures on Friday, less than 48 hours before the new eruption. It is Iceland's fifth in the space of just two years.

Eruption does not present a threat to life, says Icelandic president

Today's eruption does not present a threat to life, Icelandic president Guðni Th. Jóhannesson said earlier today.

Airport operator Isavia's press officer, Gudjon Helgason, said operations at Keflavik Airport are continuing as normal.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Grindavik restaurant owner 'flabbergasted' eruption 'is possible under town'

A Grindavik restauranteuer says he is in disbelief that an eruption could occur under the town of Grindavik.

Olafur Arndal was at home when he received instructions from the Icelandic authorities to get to safety - but has since expressed his shock at the events of the day.

Speaking to Eurovision News (EVN), he said: "I'm flabbergasted that an eruption is possible under the town. That's something I can't believe. We were waiting for an eruption up on the mountain but not underneath the town... Nobody knows what happens."

Iceland's northern capital sends its thoughts to the people of Grindavik

The mayor of Akureyri, Ásthildur Sturludóttir, has sent "warm and sincere greetings" to the residents of Grindavik.

In a statement posted to Facebook, she said: "We can hardly find words to describe the grief that is over the nation, all of Iceland, now that the Grindavík people stand defenceless against such indescribable and merciless superpowers of nature. It is tragic to watch glowing lava paralyse this lush community and destroy all infrastructure.

"On behalf of the townspeople and the town council of Akureyri, I send sincere and warm greetings to the residents of Grindavík and hope that all good wishes give them strength in difficult times."

Eruption is not expected to send large amounts of ash into the air

Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot located in the North Atlantic - and the Nordic country averages a volcanic eruption every four to five years.

The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere and led to widespread airspace closures over Europe.

However, Sunday's eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula - located 30 miles south-west of the capital Reykjavik - is not expected to release large amounts of ash into the air.

Brit tourist felt 'continuous' earthquakes before being evacuated from hotel

A Mirror reader has told how she felt "continuous" earthquakes before being evacuated from a nearby hotel.

Kate Coppola said: "I was staying at The Retreat hotel at the Blue Lagoon this weekend with my boyfriend, and was evacuated at around 3:55am this morning from the hotel.

"I woke up around 3:30am because I felt movement, but it was small, so thought it could just be my partner tossing and turning. I then tried to go back to sleep, but the movement kept happening, so I stood up to look outside and that's when i realised it was earthquakes we were feeling.

"They were continuously coming, happening ever 30 seconds or so, some small enough you think you could have been imagining it, some large enough so that the glass panels in the room were shaking."

She added: About 20 minutes later, after feeling numerous earthquakes, we received a text saying “EVACUATE, EVACUATE!” And then, within two minutes the alarms at The Retreat went off and everyone was evacuated. We grabbed what we could and ran to the lobby, where others were gathering. We thankfully had hired a car so could leave quickly, but others who didnt have a car needed to get on a bus which the hotel organised."

(mbl.is)

Two fissures opened just a few hours apart

Two fissures have formed spewing lava in and around the town of Grindavik.

The first formed early this morning around 1km (0.6 miles) from the town and the lava flow from this had largely stabilised before the second fissure opened at 12pm.

This second fissure opened less than 320 feet away from the town. An update from the Met Office in the last hour warned: "Lava flows extruded from this fissure have now entered the town. Due to the intrusion propagation, existing faults and fractures were reactivated and likely new fractures formed within Grindavík.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Icelandic Met Office says eruption has maintained same strength

The Icelandic Met Office has released an update on today's volcanic eruption.

According to RUV, its latest updates reads: "The eruption near Hagafell-Grindavík has maintained the same strength for the past hour or so. Seismic measurements show that at the beginning of the unrest this morning (~2:30 am), the magma filled intrusion initially moved from the SE edge of Stóra-Skógfell and then continued southwest to the southern end of Grindavík.

"At 5:30am seismicity had reached the northern end of Grindavík and both seismicity and deformation measurements indicate the intrusion has since propagated beneath Grindavík town. A new eruptive fissure opened at 12:10 this afternoon, just north of the town. Lava flows extruded from this fissure have now entered the town.

"Due to the intrusion propagation, existing faults and fractures were reactivated and likely new fractures formed within Grindavík."

Eldgos hófst norðan Grindavíkur, suðsuðaustan Hagafells, klukkan 7:57 í morgun. Gosið hófst fyrir norðan varnargarð sem byrjað var að reisa norðan Grindavíkur. Ný sprunga opnaðist norðan bæjarjaðarsins um kl 12:10 og hefur hraun náð til bæjarins. https://t.co/CUtPuZ0XsV pic.twitter.com/ne6lmKTnZf

— Veðurstofa Íslands / Icelandic Met Office (@Vedurstofan) January 14, 2024

President of Iceland to update nation in televised address tonight

A briefing will be held by Civil Defence at the HQ in Skógarhlíð tonight at 7pm local time.

At the meeting chaired by Víðir Reynisson, the director of Civil Defence, the events of the day will be reviewed. And shortly after the briefing at around 8pm, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, President of Iceland, will give a televised address to the nation.

(Civil Protection)

Second time volcano near Grindavik has erupted in last month

Today's event is the second time the volcano, near the town of Grindavik, has erupted in less than a month following a series of earthquakes, with residents evacuated overnight.

Members of the community were previously evacuated from their homes in November for a period of six weeks following a volcanic eruption in December.

Around 30 sheep remain trapped in the town

According to state broadcaster RUV, around 30 sheep are confined in a pen in Grindavík near the street Bakkalág. Sheep are also held in a pen at Sjávarbraut, and others in the Þórkátlustað district, and possibly elsewhere.

Linda Karen Gunnarsdóttir, chairperson of the Animal Protection Association of Iceland, said: "The animals are in captivity and it is very important that they are rescued if possible."

She added: "Animal owners have subsequently decided to bring their animals into the town and there are even reportedly pets there too, but we have yet to confirm that."

Multiple houses now on fire as lava spills on the streets of Grindavik

At least two houses are now on fire after the lava flow from the morning's eruption reached Grindavik.

Images show the lava covering the side of one house before it goes up in flames. The bulk of the lava field is further away from the town, covering the landscape.

(mbl.is)

Defensive walls have kept most of the lava away from town

Walls around the town have acted as an effective defence, with an expert saying they have managed to control the flow of lava, despite the full heigh not yet being reached.

Benedikt Halldórsson, specialist in earthquake hazards at the Icelandic Met Office, said the majority of lava, which began erupting at 8am., flowed along the side of the wall towards Grindavíkurvegur, and away from the town.

Mr Halldórsson added: "I think this is a splendid example."

(AFP via Getty Images)

'A relatively short way for lava to reach the town' says Grindavik mayor

Fannar Jonasson, the mayor of Grindavik, earlier called the volcanic eruption a "big and serious shock for the population."

"This does not look good, because it is a relatively short way for the lava" to reach the town, he said. And now, the lava flow has reached the town. and covered part of a house, which has burst into flames. State broadcaster RUV says that the house was vacant even before the evacuation.

British couple 'alarmed' but 'excited' to see eruption during holiday

A British couple on holiday in Iceland said it was “alarming” to see a volcano erupting in the south-west of the country as they travelled to the airport on Sunday.

Lorraine Crawford, 67, and her 70-year-old husband John, from Essex, took a trip to Reykjavik on Thursday along with Mr Crawford’s cousin, Michael Daltrey, and his wife, Faye.

The group were in a taxi on their way to Keflavik International Airport on Sunday morning to return to the UK when Mrs Crawford said they saw the erupting volcano in the distance and initially thought it was a fire. It is the second time the volcano, near the town of Grindavik, has erupted in less than a month following a series of earthquakes, with residents evacuated overnight.

Members of the community were previously evacuated from their homes in November for a period of six weeks following a volcanic eruption in December.

“It’s alarming in a way – it’s quite exciting to see something like that but then you realise that this could do quite a lot of damage,” Mrs Crawford, who runs a travel agency with her husband and their daughter, told the PA news agency. On the way (to the airport), we thought it was just a fire in the distance but (the taxi driver) said it was the actual volcano erupting.”

(PA)

First home hit by lava flow

A house in Grindavik appears to have been left smoking from the volcano's lava flow, according to state broadcaster RUV.

Live camera footage from the scene showed a row of white houses just yards away from the fast approaching molten-hot liquid.

The first home to be hit is said to belong to a young couple. They have not yet moved in to the property.

Lava is now just a few yards away from homes in Grindavik

Ministers to hold meeting over volcano eruption

Icelandic government ministers are to gather at 5pm today to discuss the volanic eruption in the southeast of the country.

Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, who has been out of the country, is set to return and will be at the meeting.

Eruption is smaller than December but 'could last longer'

Initial measurements appear to show that the current eruption is smaller than the one that caused widespread evacuations in December - but it may end up lasting for longer, a volcanologist has said.

Thorvaldur Thordarson from the University of Iceland told national media that Sunday's volcanic event is "around 1/3 to 1/6 of the productivity of the last eruption".

However, its slower, more gradual start meant it "could also last longer", he said.

Evacuee describes moment she woke up to sirens in middle of night

Around 200 people were in the town of Grindavik when they were told to evacuate their homes in the early hours of Sunday. One woman described waking up to the sound of sirens at 4am, before noticing an alert on her phone.

She told Icelandic broadcaster RUV: "I just jumped to wake up my brother, and I'm running to try to do something. I don't know what to do, I don't know how much time I have - but I'm out of the house half an hour later."

President of Iceland shares an update

A new volcanic eruption began in the early morning just north of Grindavík. The town had already been successfully evacuated overnight and no lives are in danger, although infrastructure may be under threat. No interruptions to flights. For updated information follow @RuvEnglish pic.twitter.com/9mlOiMohC4

— President of Iceland (@PresidentISL) January 14, 2024

Crowds of sightseers urged to stay away

Iceland's head of civil defence has urged people to stay away from the eruption area after rescue teams were forced to take sightseers to safety.

He told the national broadcaster, RUV: “Unfortunately, as always at the beginning of an eruption, people gather and want to go look at this, but I just think that people must realise the reality of the matter and what is going on.

“People must, please, give us a break to try to save what is possible to save.”

Crowds have watched the volcanic eruption north of the southwestern Icelandic town of Grindavik (AFP via Getty Images)

Public warned eruption was 'imminent' after earthquakes in the middle of night

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) warned overnight of an "intense" series of earthquakes just hours before the new volanic eruption.

Tremors began at 3am and more than 200 earthquakes were measured in the area, with the largest recorded being 3.5 in magnitude.

Two hours before the eruption was confirmed, the IMO added: "Both real-time GPS measurements and borehole pressure readings (from HS Orka) show major changes since the onset of today's earthquake activity.

"These observations, in addition to the ongoing seismicity, confirm that magma is moving within the region. Our assessment is that the possibility of an eruption is high, and that it could occur imminently."

Iceland is home to 33 active volcano systems, the highest number in Europe (AFP via Getty Images)

Flights 'have not been affected'

Iceland's president, Gudni Johannesson, has said that flights have not been affected by the eruption on Sunday so far.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said the eruption occurred around 8am local time on Sunday (Civil Protection)