According to the BBC, a warning was issued for surrounding cities following the volcanic eruption on Monday, December 18, following the earthquakes recorded in Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.
While the smell of smoke and ash could be felt even 30 kilometers away from the volcano, a warning was made that the ash clouds would reach the capital Reykjavik within the day.
Residents of the capital, in their interviews with the BBC, stated that they saw “red flashes” in the sky at the time of the explosion.
Icelandic Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, in his statement on his X social media account, stated that there was no disruption in the country’s air transportation due to the volcano eruption.
“EMERGENCY” WAS DECLARED
Following consecutive earthquakes in Iceland, a “state of emergency” was declared on November 11 against the possibility of a volcano eruption.
Authorities had decided to evacuate the town of Grindavik in the southwestern part of the country as a precaution.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) announced that there was a volcanic eruption near Grindavik on December 18.
In his statement on RUV television broadcasting in the country, Vidir Reynisson, one of the Icelandic Civil Defense and Emergency Management officials, pointed out the magma flow and stated that the incident was “like a big explosion” for the region.
(AA)
