Another volcano has erupted near the coastal town of Grindavík in Iceland, leading the local authorities to declare an emergency.
It is the fifth volcanic eruption in the region since December. After numerous earthquakes shook the area and enormous pressure built up underground, an eruption broke out in the afternoon near Sundhnúk, north of Grindavík, the Icelandic broadcaster RUV reported on Wednesday afternoon.
Lava gushed metres high from the ground. Kristín Jónsdóttir, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, estimated the fissure to be more than 1 kilometre long.
The authorities have declared a state of emergency.
The eruption came a few hours after the authorities ordered an evacuation of the village of Grindavík and the Blue Lagoon, an outdoor thermal pool popular with tourists. Around 700 to 800 visitors were said to be staying there on Wednesday morning.
Grindavík is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula around 55 kilometres southwest of Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. During an eruption in January, lava engulfed three houses on the northern edge of the village of Grindavík, which has a population of 4,000.