After more than a month, residents of the Icelandic fishing village of Grindavik have been allowed to return home. About four thousand people were evacuated due to an impending volcanic eruption.
The volcano erupted on Monday evening. At one point, lava was spewed more than 100 meters into the air, but now the amount of lava is decreasing and the greatest danger appears to have passed.
The natural disaster created a fissure about 4 kilometers long through which lava flows. The southern tip of the fault is located about 3 kilometers from Grindavík, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Authority. Earlier this week it was found that lava was not flowing into the fishing village.
Thousands of (small) earthquakes are observed.
Before the eruption, thousands of (small) earthquakes were observed for several months. This caused damage to roads and buildings in Grindavík.
The fishing village is located in Reykjanes. This peninsula is a volcanic hotspot where several eruptions have occurred in recent years. These were always in remote areas.
When Grindavík appeared to be entering the danger zone, the government decided to evacuate the village as a precaution on 10 November.
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