The eruption began in the early afternoon following a series of earthquakes north of the town of 3,800 people that was largely evacuated in December when the volcano came to life after centuries of dormancy and put on an impressive show of nature's power.
The lava shot 50 meters into the sky from a 3.5-kilometer-long fissure, with barriers protecting Grindavik as the flowing lava cut off roads and posed a threat to the town.
"The lava has already conquered (a lot). Workers and anyone still in town were ordered to leave earlier in the day, police said." - Grindavik Mayor Fannar Jonasson
"A dark plume of ash boiled up over the crater from an explosive interaction of magma hitting groundwater, with no initial threat to aviation but close monitoring by scientists." - Johanna Malen Skuladottir, Met Office
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