Lava has broken the hot water pipes
Here you can see when the lava was flowing towards the town, but now it has already reached the outskirts and the houses that are furthers to the north in town. Photo/Sveinbjörn Darri Matthíasson
Lava has flowed over both the hot and cold water lines that run to Grindavík. The hot water is broken and the town is now without heat.
This is confirmed by Tómas Már Sigurdsson, CEO of HS Orka.
Electricity was cut off from half of the town early this morning in a seismic burst that occurred in the wake of the volcanic eruption that broke out at 8 am this morning. The fissure that first opened crossed the defensive walls and the lava flow north of the walls has now flowed over Grindavíkurvegur road.
Next step to consider electricity
According to Sigurðsson, the hot water pipes were broken and it is not yet known when it will be able to be restored. The next step is to restore electricity so that heat can be restored to the houses by other means.
However, it will not be possible to start immediately. The situation in Grindavík is dangerous, especially after a new eruption fissure opened at the edge of the town.
When asked, he says the HS Orka power plant in Svartsengi is safe as it is now.
