Drone footage shows Iceland volcano spewing red lava and a huge cloud of ash

(30 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Reykjanesbær – 29 May 2024
1. Lava erupting
2. Close of lava flowing
3. Smoke rising
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Bergvin Snær Andrésson, member of the search and rescue team: ++PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOT 5++
"It’s different from day to day basis. But we knew about it early so we could evacuate (them) before the eruption happened.”
5. Wide of smoke rising
6. Various of eruption, lava flows
STORYLINE:
A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted on Wednesday for the fifth time since December, spewing red lava that once again threatened the coastal town of Grindavik and led to the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

The eruption began in the early afternoon following a series of earthquakes north of the town of 3,800 people that was largely evacuated in December when the volcano came to life after centuries of dormancy and put on an impressive show of nature’s power.

Although activity began to calm down by early evening, initial estimates found the eruption was the most vigorous in the area so far, as lava shot 50 meters (165 feet) into the sky from a fissure that grew to 3.5 kilometers (2.1 miles) in length, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said.

Barriers built to protect Grindavik deflected the flowing lava that cut off two of the three roads leading to town and was close to reaching the third.

Workers and anyone still in town were ordered to leave earlier in the day, police said.

Grindavik, which is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, has been threatened since a swarm of earthquakes in November forced an evacuation in advance of the initial December 18 eruption.

A subsequent eruption overwhelmed some defensive walls and consumed several buildings.

The area is part of the Svartsengi volcanic system that was dormant for nearly 800 years before reawakening.

The volcano erupted again in February and March.

The February 8 eruption engulfed a pipeline, cutting off heat and hot water to thousands of people.

Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, sees regular eruptions and is experienced at dealing with them.

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.

AP video shot by: Marco Di Marco

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