0 seconds of 30 seconds Volume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled
Play/Pause SPACE
Increase Volume ↑
Decrease Volume ↓
Seek Forward →
Seek Backward ←
Captions On/Off c
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreen f
Mute/Unmute m
Decrease Caption Size -
Increase Caption Size + or =
Seek % 0-9
Next Up
First foreign journalists pass closed roads towards Iceland volcano close to erupting
00:32
facebook twitter Email Link https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/CEzMNM3H Copied
Live
00:14
00:15
00:30
More Videos
00:32
First foreign journalists pass closed roads towards Iceland volcano close to erupting
01:28
Iceland volcano eruption warning forces residents in Grindavik to evacuate
01:00
Geert Wilders: 'I will never be silent'
00:54
Archaeologists discover previously unknown ancient language
00:39
Top Gear: Freddie Flintoff’s underwear gets ripped in final episode
01:31
Thousands evacuated as fears grow of volcano eruption in Iceland
Close
？
Close
Huge cracks appear on roads in Icelandic town at risk of volcanic eruption
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid email address
SIGN UP
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email
{{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
The evacuation zone in Iceland is “still dangerous”, a civil protection official has told The Independent, with current conditions leaving just a few minutes’ warning of a feared volcano eruption.
A fortnight since Grindavik was evacuated, after magma-induced seismic activity tore vast chasms through the streets of the town, officials are expected to lower the threat level in the area on Thursday – enabling residents to return for longer periods to collect their valuables.
Speaking to The Independent as international media were allowed back into the town for the first time, one civil defence official said: “It is still dangerous here ... I have never seen anything like it before. Usually we will have a few minutes warning to get out but with the weather like it is today we have even less.”
In addition to fears of weather hampering monitoring systems, civil protection chief Vídir Reynisson told Fox News: “The challenge that we have is that we will not see any strong evidence that the magma is coming up, we will see some small earthquakes and we can see how they will probably form in one place rather than another.”
Recommended Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010? When will the Iceland volcano erupt and what happens when it does? Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked ‘It’s like a dystopian movie’: Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat
Key Points Evacuation zone 'still dangerous' as eruption could occur with only minutes' notice Authorities to revise threat level near Grindavik Ground near power plant swells as chamber beneath floods with magma Peninsula braced for new ‘eruptive cycle’ to bring decades of volcanic instability When will Iceland volcano erupt and what happens when it does? On the ground in Grindavik: Christmas decorations flicker and children’s bikes left to rust
Show latest update 1 hour ago Seismic activity appears to decrease near magma dyke
The number of earthquakes recorded near the magma dyke has decreased in recent days, monitoring suggests.
According to the Icelandic Met Office, approximately 300 earthquakes were detected there on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, around 100 earthquakes had been recorded as of 6pm in the same region, while the intensity of earthquakes above magnitude 2.0 has also decreased.
Efforts are being made to assess how weather conditions and ocean swell influenced the Met Office’s monitoring systems during the period of severe weather over that period, the meteorological agency said.
Andy Gregory 23 November 2023 13:37
2 hours ago Iceland peninsula could be entering 300-year period of volcanic activity, seismologist says
My colleague Barney Davis has been speaking to Iceland’s top seismologist, Professor Páll Einarsson, who talked The Independent through his various sensors as they picked up another earthquake in Grindavik.
Prof Einarsson was brought out of retirement to study the huge volume of earthquakes. He is measuring tremors using the movement of fibre optic cables laid across the faultline initially to provide broadband to Grindavik.
He said he would be happy to move back to Grindavik but its still far too unstable to move his family.
“The last eruption was 1214 since then none until 2021 which is 800 years of slumber,” said the seismologist.
“We may now be may be at the beginning of an active period for the next two or three centuries.”
(Barney Davis)
Andy Gregory 23 November 2023 12:23
3 hours ago New parents refuse to return to Icleand fishing town rocked by earthquake: ‘We need a stable home’
A Grindavik couple have refused to return to their home deeming it not safe enough to raise their new baby after the 5.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the Icelandic fishing town.
Guejón and his wife Ay？a Eri？kin, who had their first child on Wednesday, said they had decided not to go back to Grindavik despite setting up their family home there.
Guejón, a rock musician born and raised in the harbour town told The Independent: “While I fully understand people that intend to go back whenever possible and I do feel a strong urge to do so myself, we want to find a stable home for us and our newborn child.
“It’s clear that even though things would settle for now and people could go back, the same situation can arise essentially any time.”
My colleague Barney Davis reports from Iceland:
People refuse to return to Icleand town rocked by earthquake: ‘We need a stable home’ ‘Now that we have the baby, we want to find a permanent home’
Andy Gregory 23 November 2023 11:11
3 hours ago Christmas decorations flicker and children’s bikes left to rust in Grindavik
My colleague Barney Davis was among the first international journalists to enter the evacuated town of Grindavik yesterday. He reports:
The once bustling harbour town has been left empty since 10 November – the day the ground opened up and caused all the children and the elderly to flee, not knowing what was around the corner or if they would even see home again.
Early Christmas decorations are left still switched on and children’s bikes have been left to rust in the front yard of a home with an enormous crack down the side – simply because it stood in the way of the shuddering faultline stretching from the mountains through the little town and into the Atlantic.
One street has its houses now kneeling forwards and a huge fissure splits Grindavik’s only old people’s home.
The town’s fish and chip shop still has its garish advertising hoarding switched on offering an eerie respite from the horrific hailstorms that descend every three minutes upon this desperate Englishman.
Evacuating 3,700 residents was no mean feat. They were told to turn off the electricity in their homes and close all windows. You can see the signs flapping in the high winds, declaring the home was successfully emptied.
Collapsed homes, sinkholes and broken roads: Inside Iceland’s ghost town of Grindavik The residents had just minutes to leave the little harbour town on Iceland’s west coast, as fissures rent the streets and houses collapsed. The question now is will they ever see their homes again
Andy Gregory 23 November 2023 10:43
5 hours ago Evacuation zone 'still dangerous' as eruption could occur with only minutes' notice
The evacuation zone at Grindavik is “still dangerous”, with conditions meaning residents would have just a few minutes’ warning to escape prior to an eruption. a civil defence official has told The Independent.
Speaking to The Independent as international media were allowed into the town for the first time since it was evacuated, Hjordis Gudmundsdottir said: “It is still dangerous here. This is why we don’t let normal people or the media in until now.
“I have never seen anything like it before. Usually we will have a few minutes warning to get out but with the weather like it is today we have even less.” A weather warning is in place for strong gale-force winds in eastern Iceland.
It came as authorities said rescue workers could get as little as “30 minutes’ notice” before the anticipated volcanic eruption.
“The challenge that we have is that we will not see any strong evidence that the magma is coming up, we will see some small earthquakes and we can see how they will probably form in one place rather than another,” Vídir Reynisson, the head of the civil protection and emergency management agency, told Fox News.
Andy Gregory 23 November 2023 09:23
5 hours ago Grindavik residents allowed to return for full days to collect items
Residents in the evacuated town of Grindavik will be allowed to return to their homes for much longer than previously to rescue their valuables.
Authorities are expected to lower the threat level in the area at 11am this morning, from which point it is intended that residents will be permitted to be in Grindavik between the hours of 9am and 4pm every day.
Residents can now drive themselves to the town rather than be escorted by emergency officials, and advised to walk to and from their homes in a way that allows them to evacuate at short notice.
(Barney Davis/The Independent)
Andy Gregory 23 November 2023 09:02
6 hours ago Emergency risk set to be revised. police say
The threat level in the area of Grindavik is set to be revised at 11am – from one of “emergency” to “danger”, police said on Wednesday evening.
The police commissioner and local authorities made the decision following a new assessment by the Icelandic Meteorological Office, which states that the probability of a sudden eruption within the town limits of Grindavík has been decreasing every day and is now considered small.
Land is still rising in Svarteng and the magma there could flow again under the magma tunnel under Grindavík, but the Norwegian Meteorological Agency said that signs of this would be detectable on seismic and GPS sensors.
There is still a possibility of a volcanic eruption in the area above the magma tunnel, most likely between Hagafell and Sylingarfell, and civil defence teams will continue to keep the area well patrolled.
Andy Gregory 23 November 2023 08:16
14 hours ago In case you missed it: The Independent at site of road blockade to Grindavik
Only pre-approved residents were allowed access to Grindavik on Wednesday as 78 who registered request to return to collect belongings were allowed through from 9am.
The Independent’s Barney Davis reported from the scene of an emergency blockade staffed by search and rescue workers.
Only an 18-wheeler lorry was allowed through.
Iceland volcano: Town at site of eruption closed by search and rescue roadblock
Maira Butt 23 November 2023 00:03
15 hours ago Civil Defence press conference summary
Officials held a press conference on Wednesday to update the public on the most recent developments following the Icelandic Met Office’s “high risk” of volcanic eruption.
The Red Cross advised that it was ok to be “gentle” during this time, advocating the use of “age appropriate” language when speaking to young children.
Víeir Reynisson, the Director of Civil Protection, said that a group of experts would be looking at the possibility of pumping water over the lava to cool it in the event the volcano erupted.
Over 700 people have requested housing after being evacuated from the town of Grindavik.
Officials confirmed that media access would be reconsidered and reporters would be allowed a better opportunity to take photos and cover the story.
Police thanked volunteers and emergency services and reminded people that services were getting used to a new situation.
A press conference with the National Defence, Red Cross and Icelandic police officials
(Almannavarnir)
Maira Butt 22 November 2023 23:03
Promoted stories
Combat Siege
If you have a mouse, you have to play this game.Combat Siege
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
16 hours ago Danger zone expanded by Iceland Met Office
The site of Grindavik’s volcanic eruption has been expanded to include a wider area in its ‘danger zone’.
Iceland’s Met Office expanded the area on Tuesday amid suggestions that a larger area than expected could be affected. See the most recent map below.
The purple area is the highest danger zone , encompassing Hagafell, north east of the town of Grindavik
(Icelandic Met Office)
There are three danger areas as can be seen on the above map, according to The Iceland Monitor:
Orange: Danger zone A: Danger due to seismic activity.
Red: Danger zone B: Danger due to possible eruption (including the earth cracking open suddenly, eruption with little forewarning, lava flowing and dangerous gas pollution).
Purple: Danger zone C: Increased danger of eruption like in zone B, and even more danger of earth opening suddenly and dangerous gas pollution. In this zone escape routes need to be clear, gas monitors are needed and gasmasks if you go into the area.
Maira Butt 22 November 2023 22:02
Newer 1 / 5 Older
More about Iceland earthquakes Volcano Magma
Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
1/ 1Iceland volcano eruption: Evacuation zone ‘still dangerous’ – live
Iceland volcano eruption: Evacuation zone ‘still dangerous’ – live
A large crack is seen in the road
AP
Read More Comments
Collapse Comments
？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Subscribe
Already subscribed? Log in