PREVIEW

These images show volcanic fissures near the Icelandic town of Grindavik, near the capital, Reykjavik, on Sunday (14January2024).


Houses have caught fire in Grindavik after the eruptions of the volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in the early hours of Sunday.
The entire population of the town has been evacuated.
Lava flows breached defences built after an eruption in December and the main road into the town has been cut off by the flow of the lava.
Iceland's President Gudni Johannesson urged people to "stand together and have compassion for those who cannot be in their homes".
Earthquakes preceded the December eruption in the Svartsengi volcanic system.


The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said defensive barriers had been breached but there was no disruption to domestic or international flights following the eruption.

Iceland’s alert level has been raised to "emergency" - the highest - which states there could be a threat of harm to people, communities, property or the environment from the eruption.
It is the fifth to have taken place in the Reykjanes peninsula since 2021.
Iceland is a volcanic hotspot as it sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.