The city of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, in Iceland, which is hit by volcanic eruptions, has to be evacuated again. The responsible authorities today ordered the new evacuation of the town of 4,000 inhabitants, according to a statement from the civil protection authority based on a risk assessment by the national meteorological office.
All people must leave Grindavik by Monday night, from then on it will be prohibited to stay there. The site is still classified as dangerous after the November earthquakes, and also poses an increased risk of eruptions.
A volcanic eruption north of Grindavik occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula just days before Christmas, the fourth in three years. Grindavik had already been evacuated beforehand, while the new eruption was heralded by a week-long series of earthquakes.
The earthquakes caused extensive damage in the area, including deep cracks in the roads. According to Icelandic media reports, a worker had fallen into one of these crevices a few days ago – the search for him was stopped without him being found.