On their last day in Iceland, a group of Flemish tourists were eager to visit the Blue Lagoon, which is heated by volcanic activity. However, their plans were cut short as they had to evacuate due to a volcanic eruption alarm. The Icelandic Meteorological Office had warned of intense seismic activity and an imminent eruption.
By 1 p.m. local time, lava was flowing from a volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula. This eruption is the fifth in the area since December and is considered the worst and most spectacular. The eruption site near Sundhnúk, north of Grindavik, features large fountains of glowing lava. The eruption site has a nearly 4-kilometer long crack and has led to a state of emergency being declared by the police.
A Flemish couple visiting the Blue Lagoon had to quickly evacuate after the alarm sounded. They were only in the water for ten minutes when the alarm went off, forcing them to leave immediately without showering. Despite the abrupt end to their visit, there was no panic as visitors had been informed of the emergency protocols in advance.
Geophysics professor Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson conducted a helicopter flyover and noted that the lava rift had expanded to around 3.2 to 3.4 kilometers. The lava had spread over an area of 5.5 square kilometers and had reached defensive walls west of Grindavik
