Five-kilometer-long dams are intended to protect the Svartsengi geothermal power plant. Parts of the town of Grindavík were left without power, but residents were temporarily allowed to return after being evacuated.
The Svartsengi geothermal power plant, threatened by a volcanic eruption in Iceland, will be protected by dams. The country’s largest excavator was taken to the Reykjanes peninsula early in the morning, broadcaster RUV reported on Thursday. The 104-ton device, whose engine, according to the company, can produce more than 860 hp, aims to build five-kilometer-long dams to protect the important plant from lava.
Police temporarily allowed residents to return to what is probably the most vulnerable part of the town of Grindavík, south of Svartsengi, to take their belongings to safety. Parts of the city were left without power.
15 kilometer long magma tunnel
Grindavík is located about 40 kilometers southwest of the capital Reykjavik and has been threatened by a possible volcanic eruption for days. The approximately 3,700 residents had to abandon their homes last Saturday night because a magma tunnel approximately 15 kilometers long runs beneath Grindavík to the bottom of the sea. The nearby Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most famous tourist attractions, had already been closed.
The Icelandic Meteorological Service said seismic activity caused by the magma tunnel was decreasing. However, the risk of an outbreak remains, the head of the department responsible for natural disasters, Kristín Jónsdóttir, told broadcaster RUV. “We are very vigilant in this regard. And we can see from past eruptions that just when this (motion) slows down, an eruption approaches.” (APA/dpa)