Iceland's volcano eruption prompts mass evacuations, adding to global seismic concerns
The volcanic eruption occurred on Monday in the southwestern regions of Iceland, following a series of intense earthquakes that lasted several weeks. The incident was reported by PAP, sourced from the Iceland Meteorological Office. As a direct result, authorities decided to evacuate residents.
2:37 AM EST, December 19, 2023
Four thousand people evacuated
Located on the Reykjanes peninsula, one of Iceland's most volcanically active regions, nearly four thousand people have been evacuated recently. The decision mostly affected the fishing town of Grindavik. In addition, authorities decided to close the nearby popular geothermal spa, Blue Lagoon.
In the previous years, several volcanic eruptions have occurred on the Reykjanes peninsula. All incidents occurred in uninhabited areas, but authorities highlighted that the expected volcanic eruption posed a direct threat to the city.
The Reykjanes peninsula, an area with high volcanic and seismic activity, is located to the southwest of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Since the end of October, an increase in earthquake activity has been noticed in the region around Reykjavik.
Volcanic eruption in Indonesia
In December, Indonesia also experienced a volcanic eruption. One of the country's 120 active volcanoes, Marapi, known as the "mountain of fire," led to at least 23 deaths of people on its slopes. The police did not rule out the possibility that there could have been individuals who had not officially registered. Due to Marapi's exceeding activity norms, climbers and tourists are required to register before they climb the volcano.
