- People are coming by the thousands to watch an erupting volcano near Reykjavik, Iceland.
- On Friday, people were able to watch lava flowing from Mount Fagradalsfjall.
- This is Mount Fagradalsfjall’s first eruption in 800 years.
REYKJAVIK, Iceland: People are coming by the thousands to watch an erupting volcano near the capital, Reykjavik.
Those at the site were able to watch lava flowing from Mount Fagradalsfjall. This is the volcano’s first eruption in 800 years.
Officials had initially blocked access to view the eruption, however, it is now possible to hike in close enough to see the lava flows.
“It’s absolutely breath-taking,” said Ulvar Kari Johannsson, as reported by AFP.
“It smells pretty bad. For me, what was surprising was the colours of the orange: much, much deeper than what one would expect,” he added.
Following more than 50,000 earthquakes, officials in Iceland had predicted a volcano might soon erupt.
Experts note that the eruption has been relatively small and remains under control. Officials report that some 300,000 cubic metres of lava has flown onto the surrounding terrain.
However, as the levels of toxic gas emitting from the volcano increased, officials again blocked access to the area on Monday.
Traffic in the approaches to the volcano was heavy over the weekend, though the weather conditions were poor.
Also, there were 140 search and rescue personnel on the scene to assist people in need of help.
