New volcano erupts south of Reykjavik, residents evacuated

A new volcanic eruption began on Sunday morning north of Grindavik in Iceland (southwest), after a previous eruption in December in the same region, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) announced.

According to Icelandic Public Radio and Television, seismic activity intensified overnight and residents of Grindavik were evacuated around 3 a.m. (local time). “Cracks have opened on both sides of the defenses that began to be built north of Grindavik», the IMO writes in its bulletin.

Surveillance scenes Big, bright orange lava flows at night in Iceland.

It is the fifth volcanic eruption in Iceland in two years, the previous one occurring on the evening of December 18 in an area southwest of the capital Reykjavík.

Grindavik, a small town of 4,000 people, was evacuated on November 11 as a precaution. Since then, residents have been allowed to return briefly, before being rushed out last night.

Thirty-two volcanic systems are thought to be active in this country of fire and ice, the most volcanic region in Europe.