Vilhelm Gunnarsson / Getty Images
After a series of earthquakes in Iceland, the long-dormant Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted on Friday evening. Located almost 60 km outside of Reykjavík, the closest city and state capital, the volcano has neither threatened life nor damaged infrastructure.
“Currently, the gas pollution is not expected to cause much discomfort to people, except near the source of the outbreak,” the Icelandic Meteorological Bureau tweeted this morning. “The gas emissions are closely monitored.”
🌋 The recently erupted Fagradalsfjall volcano is located on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland. The eruption was preceded by a swarm of earthquakes, as we discovered a few days ago. https://t.co/5x8FBokq7V https://t.co/t4EWTnjPHB
10:34 p.m. – March 19, 2021
Twitter: @BuzzFeedStorm
Images of the eruption immediately flooded social media as residents of Iceland saw lava and ash from the volcano light up the sky.
Vilhelm Gunnarsson / Getty Images
The country’s Justice Minister Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir was on a trip to the volcano when the eruption began to oversee the situation. Sigurbjörnsdóttir posted photos and a live video from the helicopter showing lava seeping down from the eruption.
Photo I took tonight of the volcanic eruption in Reykjanes Island. We are closely monitoring the situation and it is not currently seen as a threat to the surrounding cities. 🌋🇮🇸 #Iceland
02:42 – March 20, 2021
Twitter: @aslaugarna
The local Ruv news agency also has a live feed of the volcano.
Reykjavík residents posted surreal photos of a red glow in the sky showing the eruption of Fagradalsfjall.
The outbreak also caused a rush of visitors trying to witness the event.
Among them was Icelandic singer Björk, who said on Instagram that the volcano, where she once shot a music video, is 30 minutes from her home.
“YES !!, eruption !! we in Iceland are sooo excited !!! we still have it !!! feeling of relief when nature expresses itself !!!” she posted.
The Icelandic Coast Guard has also been closely monitoring the situation, posting photos, videos and updates from the scene.
On Saturday morning, an employee met a dog who was attending the tour.
Local photographers also rushed to the scene and exchanged incredible photos.
One person posted a video that was recorded during the first commercial flight to the location of the outbreak. “This is the most magical thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I literally cried !!” she said on Instagram.
The flights to Fagradalsfjall seemed busy and people saw the volcano in all its glory as soon as the sun rose.
One person posted a photo of the beautifully lit sky and said, “What you see here is not a sunset, but a volcanic eruption in Fagradalsfjall.”
According to the Meteorological Office, “the eruption is minor and volcanic activity has decreased somewhat since yesterday evening.”
“Lava fountains are small and lava flows are a very local hazard right now,” officials tweeted.
Icelandic Coast Guard / Getty Images
