16 July 2025 , 13:17
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A volcanic eruption in Iceland has once more necessitated the evacuation of tourists at the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
This is the 12th volcanic eruption in the region since 2021, with the latest one happening around 4am following an intense seismic swarm on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said.
"(It does) not threaten any infrastructure at this time," the IMO said in a statement.
“Based on GPS measurements and deformation signals, it is likely that this was a relatively small eruption."
Footage on social media shows lava and smoke spewing rapidly from the volcano, which led to evacuations from the nearby town of Grindavik, a luxury hotel, and the iconic Blue Lagoon spa.
Grindavik was home to almost 4,000 people before an evacuation order was issued in 2023 due to the high likelihood of lava flows and earthquakes, and is now largely deserted.
The IMO added magma pushed through the earth’s crust, opening a fissure which was roughly between 700 and 1,000 metres long.
Fissure eruptions are characterised by lava flows emerging from long cracks in the earth’s crust.
Experts have said eruptions on the peninsula could continue for decades.
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