"A volcanic eruption has begun on the Reykjanes Peninsula, marking the fourth eruption in the past three years," the agency stated.
The report details that around 9:00 p.m. local time, an earthquake occurred with an estimated magnitude of 4.2. Subsequently, at approximately 10:46 p.m. local time, a volcanic eruption began near the town of Grindavik, as noted by the media.
On November 10, Icelandic authorities announced the evacuation of Grindavik, situated in the southern part of the country, due to the threat posed by potential lava flows, which may have been accumulating beneath the city following recent seismic activities. A few days later, the Icelandic parliament passed legislation to construct barriers for lava containment, financed by an additional tax.
On November 23, the threat level from the lava outflow was reduced from an emergency to a high alert state. Iceland Review, citing Hulda Ragnheidur Audnadouttir, the director of the Icelandic state organization for natural catastrophe insurance, reported that the damages from the earthquakes could exceed 70 million dollars.
Iceland frequently experiences volcanic activity, owing to its numerous mountain-volcanic systems. Notably, in 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajekull volcano disrupted air travel across much of Western Europe. The Fagradalsfjadl volcano, located merely seven kilometers from Grindavik and about 30 kilometers from Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, was dormant for 6,000 years until it erupted on March 19, 2021. This eruption was preceded by over 40,000 minor earthquakes recorded on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Subsequently, the volcano experienced additional eruptions in September 2021, August 2022, and July 2023.