Iceland volcano: Police declare state of emergency as fissure erupts forcing evacuations

Iceland 's southwest was rocked on Thursday night as a volcano erupted for the sixth time since December, forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency.

The eruption began shortly after 9pm on the Reykjanes Peninsula, with a 4km fissure slicing through the Sundhnúkur crater. Within hours, lava was flowing both east and west at alarming speeds.

Local police chiefs swiftly declared a state of emergency, triggering immediate evacuations. The nearby town of Grindavik, home to 3,800 residents, has been largely abandoned since late last year.

Iceland's Met Office reported increased seismic activity days before the eruption. One official estimated the lava flow travelled "about 1km in 10 minutes".

Experts warn the fissure has rapidly expanded, growing by 1.5km in just 40 minutes. Total length now stands at a staggering 3.9km.

While authorities insist the eruption's effects remain localised, road closures are in place and toxic gas plumes pose a serious threat.

The Reykjanes Peninsula, just 50km southwest of capital Reykjavik , has been plagued by repeated eruptions since December . These outbreaks have caused significant damage to infrastructure and forced mass relocations.

As night fell, hundreds of thrill-seekers flocked to nearby vantage points, eager to witness the spectacular yet dangerous natural phenomenon.

"We just thought that it was the northern lights," Mahnoor Ali, visiting from Maryland in the US , told AP.

"It's like the coolest thing I've seen in my whole life, honestly."

Friends Ameerul Awalludin from Malaysia and Shohei Miyamito from Japan were with an Icelandic friend when they heard the news and quickly rushed to near the eruption.

"We have like a volcano as well," Miyamito told AP, but "we cannot see lava like this”.

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