Iceland volcano eruption spills lava into town and engulfs houses in fiery inferno

15 January 2024, 09:42 | Updated: 15 January 2024, 10:41

The eruption began on Sunday morning, at around 8am local time, before a second fissure opened up at noon, with expert warning that more fissures are expected in the coming days.
The eruption began on Sunday morning, at around 8am local time, before a second fissure opened up at noon, with expert warning that more fissures are expected in the coming days. Picture: INDICATOR/RAX/X
Sukhmani Sethi

By Sukhmani Sethi

Entire houses have been engulfed in fire after the dramatic volcanic eruption in Grindavik, southwest Iceland, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Aerial footage shows homes in the small fishing town, situated around 25 miles away from Iceland's capital Reykjavík, being surrounded by fiery rivers of lava before being consumed by the scorching inferno.

The eruption began on Sunday morning, at around 8am local time, before a second fissure opened up at noon, with expert warning that more fissures are expected in the coming days.

The volcano, which is located on the Reykjanes peninsula, spilled lava into Grindavik, resulting in a main road into the town being cut off by lava, and residents of the town being evacuated.

The country has raised its alert level to "emergency" - the highest of the three-level scale which indicates the threat to people, communities, property or the environment.

Met Office expert Benedikt Halldórsson told Icelandic news channel RUV: “I don't think it's possible to imagine anything worse than it [the volcano] erupting in a settlement and lava flowing onto houses.”

Read more: Iceland volcano erupts again forcing residents to evacuate just weeks after returning home

Read more: Gas pollution 'likely' in Icelandic capital after huge volcanic eruption, national forecaster warns

Volcano erupts in south-western Iceland

No disruption for air travel has been reported, with both domestic and international flights from nearby Keflavik Airport operating as normal.

Professor Matthew Watson from the University of Bristol told LBC: "The people of the town were evacuated an hour before the eruption started and authorities moved quickly to save heavy equipment used to build defences around the town.

"These defences appear to have worked somewhat, with significant volumes (but not all) of the material being deflected".

In a live address to the nation on Sunday evening, Iceland's President Gudni Johannesson urged citizens to "stand together and have compassion for those who cannot be in their homes".

Johannesson warned “Anything can happen,” according to AFP news agency, suggesting that the volatility of the situation remains a cause of serious concern.

Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said the government would be organising a meeting today to discuss housing for evacuated residents.

Jakobsdóttir said: "Today is a black day for Grindavik and today is a black day for all of Iceland, but the sun will rise again".

The volcano, which is located on the Reykjanes peninsula, spilled lava into Grindavik, resulting in a main road into the town being cut off by lava, and residents of the town being evacuated.
The volcano, which is located on the Reykjanes peninsula, spilled lava into Grindavik, resulting in a main road into the town being cut off by lava, and residents of the town being evacuated. Picture: Charlie Herbert/X
Diggers work through the night to form a barrier of defence against lava
Diggers work through the night to form a barrier of defence against lava. Picture: Ragnar Th Sigurdsson/X

She added: "Together we will deal with this shock and whatever may come. Our thoughts and prayers are with you."

The last time the volcano erupted was December 18, last year, which resulted in the evacuation of Grindavik's 4,000 inhabitants, as well as the closure of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

However, residents of Grindavik were spared from the eruption last time, with lava flowing in a different direction and away from the town.

This is the fifth eruption within the Svartsengi volcanic system since 2001 after remaining dormant for 800 years.

Professor Clive Oppenheimer from the Unversity of Cambridge told LBC that Iceland could be looking at "a long period of stop-start activity" in the region.

He added: "The Icelandic civil defence authorities, emergency planners and the scientists monitoring the volcano have done an amazing job of managing this prolonged threat".

Iceland has 33 active volcano systems, making it the highest number in Europe, with the country being a hotspot for seismic and volcanic activity, as it lies between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, two of the largest on the planet.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Gino D'Acampo

TV chef Gino D'Acampo accused of 'unacceptable' and 'distressing' behaviour spanning 12 years

Exclusive
'I feel like Mrs Bates VS The Council': Pub landlady considers legal action over council flooding team's 'lack of action'

'It's like Mrs Bates VS The Council': Pub landlady considers legal action over council flooding team's 'lack of action'

Liz Kendall

Too many people on benefits are 'taking the mickey' - but there are more people who want to work, says minister

Exclusive
Lauren Selkirk

School refuses to tell mum why staff member 'removed' after incident involving her daughter, 5, and social workers

Kanye West, left, and Bianca Censori arrive at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Bianca Censori shares true feelings towards Kanye West's nude Grammys stunt

Landlords face £6k bill to meet higher energy efficiency standards on rental homes by 2030 under government plans

Landlords face £6k bill to meet higher energy efficiency targets under government plans

Pope Francis meets Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla Duchess of Cornwall at the Vatican on April 4, 2017.

King Charles and Queen Camilla to meet Pope Francis during state visit to Italy

A British couple was reportedly found dead by a neighbour in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

British couple found dead inside 'isolated' French villa in 'feared burglary gone wrong'

Exclusive
Commuter backlash after Network Rail 'erases trains from departure boards' early to 'ease rush'

Commuter backlash after Network Rail 'erases trains from departure boards early' to 'ease passenger rush'

b

Knife arches in schools are welcome - but who is going to pay for them?

James Evans, 19, left, and Justin Keeling (formerly Evans), 18, right, have admitted to starting a massive fire that sparked a mass evacuation.

Two teens admit starting huge fire that 'ripped residents out of homes' during summer riots

Inga Gehricke, five, went missing following a family barbecue in Germany back in 2015.

Police launch fresh search efforts for missing girl linked to prime Madeleine McCann suspect

v

School named after Prince Andrew set to rebrand to something less 'controversial'

The Princess Royal during a visit to Southmead Hospital in Bristol to thank the team of doctors, nurses and health professionals who treated her following her accident in June 2024.

Princess Anne returns to the intensive care unit where she had treatment for head injuries

A utility firm has admitted its equipment started one of the LA fires last month.

California utility says its equipment likely sparked fire that raged through LA

Yusuf Kayat, 54, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, has been jailed for 20 years

Paedophile who plied girl, 10, with alcohol, cigarettes, and cannabis before grooming her for sex with other men jailed