Volcano erupts in Iceland: Grindavík at risk

A state of emergency has been declared after a volcano erupted on Wednesday near the seaside town of Grindavík in southwestern Iceland.

For the fifth time since December, a volcano in southwestern Iceland has erupted. The eruption started on Wednesday afternoon local time after a series of earthquakes rocked the region. The town of Grindavík has been evacuated since the eruptions started in December; however, the popular Blue Lagoon has also been evacuated due to this most recent eruption.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office said lava was shooting about 50 meters (165 feet) into the sky from a fissure about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) long and flowing toward Grindavík. The eruption started around 1 p.m. local time. So far no flights have been impacted.

This volcano is part of the Svartsengi volcanic system that was dormant for nearly 800 years before reawakening. The volcano erupted previously in December, February, and March.