Visitors flock to Iceland’s newest volcanic eruption

Videos uploaded on social media show people taking photos and filming as the volcano spills lava and smoke offering a vast show of fire.

By Reuters August 5, 2022
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Several people gathered on Wednesday to watch the eruption of a volcano near Iceland’s capital Reykjavik.

Videos uploaded on social media show people taking photos and filming as the volcano spills lava and smoke offering a vast show of fire.

The eruption, which started after days of rising earthquake activity in the area, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, took place just 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Reykjavik and 15 kilometers from the nation’s international airport.

Located between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the planet, Iceland frequently experiences earthquakes and has high volcanic activity as the two plates move in opposite directions.

Production by Chiara Rodriquez and Eleanor Whalley.