Deja vu as volcano erupts again near Iceland capital
A volcano erupted in Iceland near the capital Reykjavik, spewing red hot lava and plumes of smoke out of a fissure in an uninhabited valley after several days of intense seismic activity.
The eruption was around 40 kilometres from Reykjavik, near the site of the Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwestern Iceland that erupted for six months in March-September 2021, mesmerising tourists and spectators who flocked to the scene.
On Wednesday, a strip of glowing red lava could be seen gushing from the ground, spouting 20-30 metres into the air before spreading into a blanket of smouldering black rock.
As it cooled, blueish smoke rose up from the hilly landscape on the Reykjanes peninsula.
About 100 curious onlookers quickly made their way to the scene, bewitched by the sight of the bubbling lava and the intense roar that could be heard rising up from the ground as the lava erupted, a reporter at the scene said.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which monitors seismic activity, estimated the size of the fissure at about 300 metres. It said the eruption started in the Meradalir valley, less than one kilometre from the scene of last year's eruption.
Wednesday's eruption came after a period of intense seismic activity, with about 10,000 earthquakes detected since Saturday, including two with a magnitude of at least 5.0.
While there was no ash plume, the IMO said it was "possible that pollution can be detected due to the gas release".
