REYKJAVIK – A volcano erupted in the south of Iceland late on Saturday night, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate the area and diverting flights after authorities declared a state of emergency, officials said yesterday.
Shortly before midnight, the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, the island’s fifth largest, started to spew smoke and lava from several craters along a rift which is popular with hikers.
Police sent rescue teams to evacuate about 500 people living in the rural area near the site. No injuries or damage to property were reported.
Three Red Cross care centres were opened in nearby villages to assist the evacuated population.
“The evacuations have gone smoothly,” said local police chief Kjartan Thorkelsson, adding there was no indication the volcano presented any immediate danger to people.
The volcano spewed lava and threw up a plume of smoke about one kilometre high. There was little threat of flooding unless the eruption grew in scope and began to melt large amounts of ice on the glacier, police said.
Flights to and from Iceland were cancelled due to the risk that clouds of ash could interfere with navigation. Police said the main road on Iceland’s southern coast had reopened after being closed for several hours.
Scientists said further volcanic activity could be imminent as three previous eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull had all triggered eruptions at Mount Katla, a powerful volcano to the east of the glacier. – (Reuters)