Iceland volcanic eruption: barriers reinforced as lava flows towards town

Flows pose danger to infrastructure in Grindavik, and hundreds of people are evacuated from nearby Blue Lagoon

Emergency teams worked through the night to bolster defensive barriers around the evacuated fishing town of Grindavik as lava from the fourth volcanic eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula since December again flowed towards it.

After weeks of warnings that semi-molten rock was building up under the ground, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said the eruption, at 8.23pm local time on Saturday, had opened a nearly 3km-long fissure in the earth between two mountains.