The Icelandic authorities declared a state of emergency this Monday night due to the volcano eruption near Grindavik, a town located in the Reykjanes peninsula, en the southwest coast of the island.
The eruption of the volcano began at 10:17 p.m. local time, however, thanks to the fact that it was preceded by a series of earthquakes in the Sundhnjúka crater, it has been possible evacuate the entire area, as confirmed by the Icelandic newspaper ‘Fréttabladid’.
The approximate length of the fissure is about 3.5 kilometers, considerably higher than that of previous eruptions. Furthermore, the velocity of the lava flow is estimated to be between 100 and 200 cubic meters per second, which also represents a notable increase compared to other eruptions that have occurred on the peninsula in recent years.
Our priorities remain protecting lives and infrastructure
For his part, the president of Iceland, Gudni Johannesson, has reported the evacuation through his Twitter account. “An eruption has begun near the evacuated city of Grindavik. Our priorities remain protect lives and infrastructure. Civil Defense has closed the affected area. Now we wait to see what the forces of nature have in store for us. “We are prepared and remain vigilant,” Has published.
Airspace has not been closed
Likewise, the Icelandic Foreign Minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, has announced that, for the moment, the airspace has not been closed. “There are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors remain open,” she said on his Twitter account.
In addition, he recalled that “the Icelandic Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management remains alert in response to the increased seismic activity in and around the Reykjanes Peninsula.
On the other hand, the Icelandic Meteorological Office has confirmed thate seismic activity is moving south. This means that the eruption could extend in the direction of Grindavik.
Chef José Andrés’ team will work in the affected area
He Spanish chef José Andrés He recalled that part of his team from the NGO World Central Kitchenwho were already working in the area, ““is ready to help if necessary”.