Iceland declares state of emergency due to new volcanic eruption

(AFP) Police in Iceland declared a state of emergency late Saturday night as a new volcanic fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula began spewing lava, in the fourth eruption since December.

The eruption was reported by the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which released live images of the glowing magma flow and smoke from the volcano.

The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management announced the dispatch of a helicopter to pinpoint the location of the new fissure and announced that the police had declared a state of emergency due to the eruption.

High volcanic stress zone

According to the IMO, the fissure vent is located near the same point of a previous eruption on Feb. 8. The lava appeared to flow southward, where dikes were installed to shelter the fishing village of Grindavik, it added.

Magma also flowed westward, as it did on Feb. 8, and the size of the fissure was estimated at 2.9 kilometers, IMO said.

The agency said Friday that there was an accumulation of magma on the ground "that could lead to a new magma breakout and possibly an eruption," which could occur "with very little warning."

Local media reported that the famed Blue Lagoon geothermal spa was evacuated, as was the town of Grindavik.

The 4,000 or so inhabitants of Grindavik had been evacuated by the Nov. 11 volcanic eruption and were only able to return to their homes on Feb. 19.

Eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula raised fears for the Svartsengi power plant, which supplies electricity and water to about 30,000 people in the area.

The plant was evacuated and has been operated remotely since the initial eruptions in the area.

Iceland has some 33 active volcanic systems, the most in Europe.