Blue Lagoon evacuated as Iceland volcano erupts near Grindavik
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A volcano erupted in Iceland, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency on Thursday, Aug. 22.
Footage filmed by Marsha Corti shows an empty pool as sirens ring at the Blue Lagoon in Grindavik.
Later in the video, lava can be seen spewing from the Sundhnuks crater row near Grindavik, as a thick cloud of smoke rises.
The Icelandic Met Office reported an “intense earthquake swarm” began in the crater row on Thursday evening, shortly before 9 pm, and was rapidly expanding. Approximately 45 minutes later, a fissure opened east of Sylingarfell and a gas plume about 1 km (0.62 feet) high spread southward.
As of Friday morning, the agency estimated the fissure to be approximately 3.9 km (2.4 miles) long.
“The seismicity is fairly stable and the main activity is at the northern end of the eruptive fissure,” the agency said. “It is therefore unlikely that the fissure will extend to the south,” where Grindavik is located.
The Public Safety Department of the National Police declared a state of emergency in Sundhnukagigar on Thursday at 10 pm.