Iceland volcano LIVE: Families and tourists evacuated amid fears Sundhnúkur set to erupt
Families and tourists have been evacuated from towns - and a luxury hotel - amid fears a notorious volcano is set to erupt again.
Magma flow has begun in the Sundhnúkur volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula, near the fishing town of Grindavík, Iceland. The Icelandic Meteorological Office says this is a sign the volcano will erupt, following eight previous eruptions since December 2023.
A campsite and the Blue Lagoon Iceland - a five-star hotel resort - have been evacuated, as has most of the town of Grindavík. Local media reports police are driving around town, to check on local residents and encourage them to leave their homes in case of an eruption.
But when the same volcano erupted in April, some stubborn residents refused to leave their homes. Authorities begged with them to do so for their own safety, we reported at the time.
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KEY EVENT
The National Police Commissioner has decided, in consultation with the Police Commissioner in Suðurnes, to raise the Civil Protection alert level to the highest level as the likelihood of an eruption at the Sundhnúk crater has increased.
This was stated in a statement from the Communications Director of Civil Protection.
The earthquake cluster is located between Stóra-Skógfell and Sýlingarfell. This is in a similar area to the beginning of magma flows in previous events, like April this year.
KEY EVENT
Tourists at the Iceland Blue Lagoon hotel and a nearby campsite have been evacuated.
Jördís Guðmundsdóttir, communications director for civil protection, says that police are driving around town checking on people staying in houses.
She didn't have an exact number of people staying in the town. "There are quite a few people there," she said.
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