As our last day in Iceland was coming to an end, we decided to visit the Blue Lagoon, a popular attraction heated by volcanic activity. However, our visit was cut short due to a sudden eruption alert. Flemish tourists Maxim and Marie shared their experience of having to evacuate the area after the alarm went off early Wednesday morning.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office issued a warning about intense seismic activity and an imminent eruption near the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland. By 1 p.m. local time, lava was flowing from a volcano in the area. This was the fifth eruption in the region since December and considered the worst by experts due to its spectacular visual of large fountains of glowing lava. A state of emergency was declared as the lava fissure extended to nearly 4 kilometers in length.
Maxim and Marie had been enjoying their time at the Blue Lagoon when they heard an abrupt sound that reminded them of thunder. They quickly realized that it was an eruption alert and immediately left the water without even showering or changing into dry clothes. The visitors were well-informed about what to do, as they had received instructions upon arrival about leaving immediately if an alarm sounded.
Despite the sudden evacuation, there was no panic among visitors, who had been warned about potential dangers associated with volcanic activity in Iceland. Geophysics professor Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson conducted an aerial survey of the eruption, confirming that the lava fissure had expanded to over 3 kilometers and covered an area of 5.5 square kilometers
