Aerial footage from the Icelandic Coast Guard shows the proximity of the lava flow to the town of Grindavík. Measures are being taken to defend infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/fM0JEYetNA

— President of Iceland (@PresidentISL) January 14, 2024

Residents of Grindavik, a town 25 miles southwest of the capital Reykjavik, were evacuated overnight ahead of the seismic activity and no people were in danger as as molten rock began to burst out of the ground, authorities said. …

The eruption began before 8 a.m. just north of Grindavik, a town known for its Blue Lagoon, a popular tourist destination. …

“According to the first images from the Coast Guard’s surveillance flight, a crack has opened on both sides of the defenses that have begun to be built north of Grindavík,” the Icelandic Meteorological Office IMO said.

[There are around 4,000 people in Grindavik, and fortunately this is not the usual tourist season. But this is the second time in three months that the town has had to be evacuated, and Iceland will need to reassess its ‘defenses’ in light of this new eruption. — Ed]