New eruption of Sundhanjukagir volcano, in Iceland

A new eruption of the Sundhanjukagigar volcano began at 8 a.m. on Sunday, January 14, north of the city of Grindavik in Iceland, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) announced. The previous eruption of this volcano took place in December 2023.

According to Icelandic Public Radio and Television (RUV), seismic activity intensified overnight and residents of Grindavik were evacuated around 3 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Paris time). Surveillance footage shows a large flow of bright orange lava along a fissure in the Icelandic sunrise.

The IMO announced early this morning that this first crack had occurred “On either side of the defenses being built north of Grindavik”., “About 450 meters from the northernmost houses in the town” “A new fissure has opened just outside the city limits of Grindavik”.He said in a new bulletin at midday.

“The city has been successfully evacuated overnight and no lives are in danger, but infrastructure may be at risk. Flights not disrupted »Icelandic President Gudni Johansson said in a message on X. “creates a new situation” But “There’s nothing we can do”He told RUV channel that the situation is alarming.

Frequent evacuation orders

This is the fifth volcanic eruption in Iceland in two years, the latest, already related to Sundhanjukagir, occurred on the evening of December 18, 2023, in this sector located southwest of the capital Reykjavík. The town of Grindavik, with 4,000 inhabitants, was evacuated as a precaution on November 11, 2023, after hundreds of earthquakes caused by the movement of magma beneath the Earth’s crust – a precursor to volcanic eruptions.

These earthquakes damaged the city, creating significant cracks in roads and houses and public buildings. Since then, residents have been allowed to return there briefly and then without warning since December 23, before the emergency evacuation last night. Only a few dozen residents returned to their homes.

Four days after the December 18 eruption, authorities announced that the volcano had ceased activity, but could not say whether the eruption was due to the possibility of lava flowing underground.

One person died on Wednesday due to the earthquake

An evacuation was ordered for Grindavik on Saturday evening due to the resumption of seismic activity, following the death on Wednesday of a 51-year-old Icelander who was working to fill a crevasse in a private garden when the ground suddenly gave way. under his feet. After an intensive forty-eight hour search, authorities decided to call it off on Friday evening due to the dangerous nature of the site. The man, who has not been found, fell more than 30 meters.

Authorities are also closely monitoring the Svartsengi geothermal power plant, located in the same sector and which supplies electricity and water to around 30,000 residents of the region and whose installation is protected by a wall. “It’s important where the lava flows. It’s very important to monitor her now.Kristin Jonsdóttir, IMO volcano expert at RUV explained.

Until the March 2021 eruption, the Reykjanes Peninsula, south of the capital Reykjavík, had escaped eruptions for eight centuries. Thirty-two volcanic systems are believed to be active in this land of fire and ice, the most volcanic region in Europe.