The volcanic eruption in Iceland has calmed down – the lava is still moving – Dagsavisen

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The outbreak is the fourth on the island since December. According to geophysicist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, this eruption is the most powerful in the series.

Several people were evacuated as a result of the volcanic eruption, and a state of emergency has been declared. On Sunday afternoon, there will be a sigh of relief on Saga Island. The eruption is calming down, but the lava is still moving.

– We expect the lava to creep forward at approximately 20 meters per hour, says police chief at Suðurnes, Úlfar Lúðvíksson, to the Icelandic broadcaster Ruv.

The police chief emphasizes that the defense walls built around Grindavik have proved valuable.

– It is quite clear that if the defensive wall was not there, the lava would have flowed in a different and more unfortunate direction, says Lúðvíksson.

Can isolate Grindavik

The volcanic eruption started between Hagafell and Stóra Skógfell, not far from Grindavik.

The director of the Icelandic civil defense, Víðir Reynisson, says there is a real danger that all roads to Grindavik will be closed.

Two of the roads are already closed on the way into the evacuated town.

– We have an emergency route for the few emergency personnel who are in Grindavík to get them out if necessary, says Reynisson to Ruv.

The lava flow subsides

On Saturday evening, the lava flowed out of a fissure of almost 3 kilometres. As long as it is still moving, it poses a danger to nearby infrastructure. Not only the roads into Grindavik, the Icelanders are also worried about a water main that is threatened by the lava.

On Sunday afternoon, the lava is about 200 meters away from the water main.

The Meteorological Institute in Iceland brings promising news at 4 p.m. They say that the lava flow is decreasing in both directions.

– It appears that the lava has almost stopped flowing west towards the cold water line, they state in an update to Ruv.

The institute’s natural disaster experts say it is possible that the lava flow is still moving, but that the movement in that case is very small.

The lava flow heading south towards Suðurstrandaveg has also slowed down.