A state of emergency has been issued in southern Iceland following yet another volcanic explosion on the Reykjanes Peninsula, the fourth since December.
The eruption began late Saturday after 20:23 local time and the intense and fast lava flows have been "slow and steady" since Sunday morning, according to the Icelandic Met Office (IMO).
Lava breached the eastern walls surrounding the small, mostly evacuated settlement of Grindavik.
According to the IMO, the lava was 200 metres (650 feet) from the region's water conduit.
The distribution pipe is close to the Svartsengi power plant, a geothermal facility that distributes hot water to the majority of the Reykjanes Peninsula.
According to the director of the department at the Norwegian Meteorological Agency, there could be "dangerous" consequences if lava spreads southward and reaches the sea.
The activity around the fissure, which was initially 3 kilometres long (1.9 miles), has been reduced.
Iceland's civil defence director, Vídir Reynisson, stated that all necessary preparations had been made for the lava flow, with the main concern being the damage on infrastructure.
He also expressed worries about lava pools forming near fortifications.
This is a comparable site to the eruption that started on the 8th of December.
The explosion was captured on video, with clouds of smoke and molten magma seeping and boiling from underground vents.
With 33 active volcanoes, Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates two of the world's major tectonic plates. The Reykjanes Peninsula last saw volcanic activity 800 years ago, with eruptions lasting decades.
This is the ninth eruption since 2021, and geologists believe the region is entering a new volcanic age that might last decades or possibly millennia.
Iceland: State of emergency declared after volcanic eruption
