Volcano erupts in Iceland; third in recent weeks

An Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter flies over erupting magma. File photo

A volcano has erupted in the southwestern part of Iceland. The volcano is sending semi-molten rock spewing toward a nearby settlement for the third time in recent weeks.

Iceland's Meteorological Office said the volcano eruption began after an intense burst of seismic activity at 5:30 am local time on Thursday. A Coast Guard surveillance flight report suggested the volcano erupted in the same area of the volcano eruption of December last year.

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Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, and on average faces an eruption every four to five years. The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere and led to widespread airspace closures over Europe.

In December 2023, a volcanic erupted on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, turning the sky orange and prompting the country's civil defense to be on high alert. In November, police evacuated the town or Grindavik after strong seismic activity in the area damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption.

(With inputs from agencies)