Iceland
After a volcano erupted near the Icelandic town of Grindavik, lava hit the first houses in the city, according to the Icelandic media RUV. Video images show how the houses are burning. However, no one was injured. The volcano erupted a little before eight o’clock local time. Residents of Grindavik – some 4,000 people – have previously been told to leave their homes and stay away for the next three weeks. Icelandic Prime Minister Katrìn Jakobsdòttir said earlier Sunday that it was frightening to see how close the latest volcanic eruption is to Grindavik. The area was also evacuated in November. In December, the expected volcanic eruption came and it became the strongest in several years, writes TT. However, the lava never reached Grindavík, and on December 23, the inhabitants who had not had their homes destroyed by the earthquake were allowed to return home. Lava from the current eruption has now reached several houses. Grindavík lies on top of a fissure system called Reykjanes-Svartsengi with volcanic activity underground. /ritzau/