London, 19 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - A volcano erupted on Iceland's south-western Reykjanes Peninsula late on Monday after weeks of seismic activity, the country's weather service said.

The eruption north of the fishing village of Grindavík had begun, the institute said on its website. The town had been evacuated in November due to fears of an eruption, which was preceded by a week-long series of earthquakes.

Videos and photos on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, showed orange-red glowing lava fountains shooting into the dark night sky and lighting it up brightly. According to local media, the police asked onlookers not to approach the volcano.

Geophysicist Benedikt Ófeigsson from the Icelandic Meteorological Office said that the eruption was localized at the Sundhnjúka crater, according to local media. It is currently difficult to say whether infrastructure or Grindavík are in danger.

"An eruption has begun near Grindavík. We do not know how much damage it can possibly cause," Icelandic President Gudni Jóhannesson wrote on Facebook. "I emphasize that everyone must follow all advice and instructions from our Civil Defence staff."

Grindavík, located around 40 kilometres south-west of the capital Reykjavik, has been on alert amid the threat of an eruption for weeks.

Around 3,700 inhabitants were evacuated in November because a magma tunnel around 15 kilometres long runs under Grindavík to below the seabed.

The activity has also led to the temporary closure of the nearby Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland's most famous tourist attractions, which had just reopened at the weekend.

According to Icelandic broadcaster RUV, residents of Grindavík were recently allowed to re-enter their homes during the day. However, they were not allowed to resettle at home.

Photo: X