Volcanic lava wreaks more havoc - 21st February 2024

A new volcanic eruption has recently struck the south-east of Iceland, the third since December to wreak havoc on the area.

In the vicinity of the thriving fishing town of Grindavik, evacuated at the first explosion when properties were swallowed up by the molten lava, this time buildings have avoided the lava's hellish onslaught. As Grindavik's mayor – Fannar Jonasson – comments, the lava flow demolished a major water pipe, causing a state of emergency to be declared.

Fannar Jónasson: And it's no less bad that it's so close to the hot water pipe. We don't know what the consequences might be, but it's obviously a very serious matter. But otherwise, we're pleased that Grindavík's infrastructure and buildings are not at risk, as things stand."

With 30 active volcano systems, it's no wonder Iceland's widely referred to as the 'land of fire and ice'. Although the 2010 volcano eruption propelled plumes of volcanic dust into the atmosphere and brought much of the world's air traffic to a standstill, this volcano – in the Reykjanes peninsula – is a fissure volcano, whereby pressure rips open the crust and magma spews out from below the surface in a linear crack or 'fissure'.

The bubbling, molten spectacle stunned Jack, visiting from Canada.

Jack: "I woke up to the siren going off, and, and we packed our stuff up and went out in the parking lot and there's the, there's the volcano going. It was awesome. It was amazing. Just something once in a lifetime, being able to see it."

Reporter: "But, but you were very close to it?" "Yeah, we were like a kilometre maybe."

Some of the 3,800 Grindavik inhabitants who've been evacuated, such as Solny Palsdottir, couldn't help admitting to a strange sense of relief, having endured a nail-biting wait period lasting years in the build-up to this disaster.

Sólný Pálsdóttir: "It's hard to explain. It's such a relief when it happens. We mustn't forget that we've been in this scenario for four years and that we've been living with these tremors and this tension for so many years.

This current pattern of repeated seismic activity suggests, for volcanologists, a new volcanic epoch, leading many locals to fear that their hometown of Grindavik will ultimately be barred to them for good.