Brit trapped in Iceland, volcano evacuation films house shaking violently as huge lava pool under city ‘ready to explode’
A BRITISH woman filmed her boyfriend’s house shaking before they had to flee amid fears of a volcanic eruption beneath an Icelandic town.
Caitlin McLean from Scotland was visiting her friend Gisli Gunnarsson when a series of earthquakes led to the evacuation of 3,000 people from Grindavik.
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Authorities say a vast chamber of magma, or half-molten rock, flowing beneath the city could cause a devastating eruption at any time.
Police evacuated Grindavik after the region was rocked by 1,000 earthquakes near the Fagradalsfjall volcano earlier this week.
Ms McLean, 34, captured the moment on Friday as the furniture and light fixtures in Mr Gunnarsson’s home shook violently.
The couple packed only a few essential items to stay with Mr. Gunnarsson’s mother in Reykjavik.
“Around four o’clock on Friday the earthquakes were just starting to be continuous. There were just big quakes that lasted for hours,” Mr Gunnarsson, 29, told PA.
Ms McLean, an artist, said the situation had been “difficult to understand” for people.
“I think everyone is still a little bit in shock and not fully aware that there is a possibility that they won’t be able to go home,” she said.
Ms McLean urged volcano enthusiasts to avoid the area and to be “respectful” to people whose homes are affected
“They are trying to keep tourists away because there are already people trying to fly drones over the city.
“I understand this is a big spectacle for a lot of people, but these people may be losing their homes, so just be respectful.”
Mr Gunnarsson said Friday’s earthquakes were the worst he had ever experienced.
“Right now, not even the search and rescue teams are really going into the city.
“The uncertainty is too great and an outbreak could happen at any moment,” he said.
The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, said it would close until November 16 due to the risk of an eruption.
It is feared a catastrophic eruption could be imminent following seismic activity three miles below the Earth’s surface.
Iceland declared a state of emergency earlier this week, two years after an earlier explosion that led to a months-long disaster.
The volcano was inactive for over 800 years before its six-month eruption two years ago.
Within weeks, new cracks formed and new vents opened while others became inactive.
At times, six craters erupted simultaneously.
A second eruption then occurred on August 3, 2022, before a third occurred on July 10, 2023.
After recent unrest and 1,400 seismic shifts in the past week alone, there are now fears that a fourth is on the way.
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