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Thrill-seekers defy danger warnings and venture to site of enormous volcano
Vidir Reynisson, head of the Department of Civil Protection, urged people to stay away from the area, telling a local television station: 'This is no tourist eruption'.
But thrill-seekers defied the orders and ventured near the site of the huge volcano eruption in Iceland.
Astonishing pictures - including one of scores of cars queuing to get close to the area - show people trying to witness Mother Nature's work first-hand.
WATCH: Magma shoots into the sky as volcano erupts in Iceland
Offical warns 'this is a different creature to anything we've seen before'
Volcanologist Porvaldur Póroarson told Icelandic newspaper MBL.is that this volcanic eruption is 'different' to what we have seen before.
The eruption north of Grindavik is the largest that has occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula since 2019.
'This is a different creature than we have seen in Fagradalsfjall,' Poroarson said of the eruption that began last night.
The key developments as Iceland volcano erupts
Good morning from MailOnline's team. After weeks of earthquakes, a huge volcano has erupted in Iceland. Here's what you need to know.
- The eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, just north of the fishing town Grindavik, began Monday at around 10.17pm after an earthquake swarm, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said, referring to a series of small shakes.
- The meteorological office estimated that the volcano had opened a fissure about four kilometres (2.5 miles) long, with the southern end just three kilometres away from Grindavik.
- Live-streamed footage of the eruption showed glowing orange jets of lava spewing from a gash in the ground, surrounded by billowing clouds of red smoke.
- For weeks, the Nordic country had been anticipating an eruption on the peninsula southwest of the capital after intense earthquake activity, which prompted authorities to evacuate thousands of people and close the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa famed for its turquoise waters.
Key Updates
WATCH: Magma shoots into the sky as volcano erupts in Iceland
Offical warns 'this is a different creature to anything we've seen before'
The key developments as Iceland volcano erupts
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