A state of emergency has been declared in Iceland due to the threat of a volcanic eruption – Kommersant

Icelandic authorities have declared a state of emergency due to the threat of a volcanic eruption in the southwest of the country, British television reported. Sky News. Residents of the town of Grindavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula were urged to evacuate “as a precaution”.

As Sky News reported, due to possible risks, the Icelandic authorities also closed the Blue Lagoon geothermal resort, popular among tourists. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) noted “significant changes” in seismic activity.

The day before, about 800 tremors were recorded on the Reykjanes Peninsula, and in total since the end of October – more than 24 thousand. According to IMO, over the past few weeks the ground level has risen by 9 cm.

For the first time after 800 years of inactivity, eruptions of a volcanic system on the Icelandic peninsula were observed in March 2021. Since then, two more eruptions have occurred: in August 2022 and July 2023. As a result, no one was injured.

Lusine Balasyan