Iceland volcano erupts: Blue Lagoon, Grindavik face evacuations; scary videos show magma and fire

Visuals shared by local media showed the volcano belching smoke as dramatic, glowing hot lava flows.

A volcano has erupted in Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula on Wednesday, the latest in a series of outbreaks near the capital in recent years, Reuters has reported, citing the country's meteorological office.

Iceland's meteorological office said that Magma forced through the Earth's crust opened a massive fissure between 700m and 1,000m in length. (Facebook/Civil Protection of Iceland)

Visuals shared by local media showed the volcano belching smoke as dramatic, glowing hot lava flows. According to AFP, this is the ninth volcanic eruption in the country since 2023.

Iceland's meteorological office said that Magma forced through the Earth's crust opened a massive fissure between 700m and 1,000m in length.

"(It does) not threaten any infrastructure at this time," the office said in a statement. "Based on GPS measurements and deformation signals, it is likely that this was a relatively small eruption."

Flights at Keflavik airport in the capital of Reykjavik were not affected, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, Iceland's Public broadcaster RUV said people had been evacuated from the Blue Lagoon, a luxury geothermal spa resort, and the nearby town of Grindavik.

In 2010, a volcanic eruption in another part of Iceland caused worldwide travel chaos after the ash spewed into the atmosphere, leading to the closure of European airspace.