Vilhelm Gunnarsson / Getty Images
After a series of earthquakes in Iceland, the long-dormant Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted on Friday night. The volcano is located about 40 miles from Reykjavik, the nearest city and capital of the country, and has not threatened any life or damage to infrastructure.
“Currently, gas pollution is not expected to cause much discomfort for people, except near the source of the eruption,” tweeted the Icelandic Weather Service this morning. “Gas emissions will be monitored closely.”
🌋 The Fagradalsfjall volcano, which has just erupted, is located on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland. The eruption was preceded by a swarm of earthquakes, as we observed several days ago. https://t.co/5x8FBokq7V https://t.co/t4EWTnjPHB
Images of the eruption immediately flooded social media when Icelandic residents saw lava and ash from the volcano light up the sky.
Vilhelm Gunnarsson / Getty Images
The country’s Minister of Justice, Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, took a trip to the volcano when the eruption began to monitor the situation. Sigurbjörnsdóttir posted photos and a live video of the helicopter showing lava dripping from the eruption.
Photo I took tonight about the volcanic eruption in Reykjanes, Iceland. We are monitoring the situation closely and at the moment it is not considered a threat to neighboring cities. 🌋🇮🇸 #Iceland
The local media also Ruv has a live broadcast of the volcano.
Reykjavik residents posted surreal photos of a red glow in the sky showing an erupting Fagradalsfjall.
The eruption also caused a wave of visitors to try to witness the event.
Among them was the Icelandic singer Björk, who said on Instagram that the volcano, where she filmed a video clip, is 30 minutes from her home.
“SIMS !!, eruption !! we in Iceland are sooo excited !!! we still understand !!! feeling of relief when nature expresses itself !!!” she posted.
The Icelandic Coast Guard service has also been keeping an eye on the situation, posting photos, videos and updates of the scene.
On Saturday morning, an employee met a dog who took part in the tour.
Local photographers also rushed to the site, sharing incredible photos.
One person posted a video about what she said was the first commercial flight to the site of the eruption. “This is the most magical thing I have ever experienced in my life. I literally cried !!” she said on Instagram.
The flights to Fagradalsfjall appeared to have been busy, as people watched the volcano in all its glory as soon as the sun rose.
One person posted a photo of a beautifully lit sky, saying, “What you see here is not a sunset, but a volcanic eruption at Fagradalsfjall.”
According the country’s Meteorological Office, “The eruption is small and the volcanic activity has decreased somewhat since last night.”
“The lava sources are small and the lava flows are currently a local danger,” the authorities tweeted.
Iceland Coast Guard / Getty Images