Iceland
After a hiker was rescued by helicopter, police say the route to the volcano's eruption is “not for everyone.”
Wednesday, December 20, 2023, 12:55 p.m. GMT
Icelandic police have warned tourists to “think four times” before attempting to approach the site of a spectacular volcanic eruption after they had to rescue an exhausted hiker with a helicopter.
Within hours of Monday night's eruption, which followed weeks of earthquake activity, the site near the southwestern town of Grindavík had become an attraction for curious volcano enthusiasts.
Police said a hiker had to be rescued by helicopter on Tuesday after becoming “exhausted, cold and shocked halfway to the eruption.”
The 11-12 mile (18-20 km) route to the site is “extremely challenging,” they added.
They said: “A little information about the location of the eruption that will hopefully make people think four times before setting off.” The first 500 meters are on a decent path, but then coarse, rough lava takes over, which is extremely is difficult to cross. You can assume that an experienced hiker will need around 4-5 hours for this route, which is not for everyone.”
They warned that the wet surface was expected to freeze over on Wednesday, adding that there was also “significant gas pollution and uncertainty” in the area, making conditions even more difficult. “Be careful,” they said.
Visiting volcanoes after an eruption has become very popular among locals, scientists and international tourists in recent years, as there have been a number of eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula during this time.
The unique nature of this week's eruption – it stretches across a 4km long lava-spewing fissure – makes visiting the site particularly challenging.
In the hours after the eruption, a bright orange glow could be seen for miles, and many moved from a safe distance to view the scene.
Unnur Íris Bjarnadóttir, 40, drove with her family from her home in Reykjavík to see the crack from the road towards Keflavik Airport. The architect, her husband and their children, ages 11 and 13, stopped on Monday evening to witness the once-in-a-lifetime sight.
“It had just started snowing that morning, the ground was really white,” she said. “And then there was a really big orange sky in front of us.”
In the 30 minutes or so that they stood there, until about midnight, they saw the crack expand. “You could see the earth opening up and the line getting longer. It was beautiful to see,” she said.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said on Wednesday that the strength, seismicity and deformation of the volcanic fissure eruption, which began with a strong seismic swarm at 9 p.m. on Monday and erupted at 10:17 p.m., has now decreased.
The latest surveillance photos showed activity was limited to two craters from three, it said.
• The image in this article was replaced on December 20, 2023. The original image showing a rescue in progress showed a previous incident and not the current rescue.
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