OAN’s James Meyers
1:46 PM -Monday, March 18, 2024
Iceland has declared a state of emergency after a massive volcano erupted for the fourth time in three months.
The eruption opened a fissure nearly 2 miles long between Stóra-Skógfell and Hagafell mountains on the Reykjanes Peninsula, according to Iceland’s Meteorological Office, which had been warning about a possible eruption for weeks due to magma building up underground.
According to Iceland’s Meteorological Office, the volcanic eruptions had slowed tremendously, but the eruption had still not ended on Sunday.
The volcano is almost a 9 mile-long magma tunnel that runs beneath the ground, stretching north from Grindavík toward Sundhnúk in the Reykjanes Peninsula. When the hidden magma gets too close to the surface, it breaks through, triggering long and narrow fissures that release lava, ash and smoke.
The lava moves at an average speed of close to 39 feet per hour, and it could take another 20 hours to reach the main road at that speed, according to the meteorological office.
Fortunately, no flights have been reported to be disrupted by the eruption at Iceland’s main airport, or other regional airports. Additionally, according to officials, no deaths have been confirmed, but the Associated Press did report that one worker has been reported missing after walking near the volcanic fissure.
There has not been any other released information regarding the missing worker.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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