"We will let people know as soon as it's safe"
People at the eruption zone by Litli-Hrútur yesterday. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon
“We saw on cameras that people were there, but thankfully there were not thousands of people there. We thank them for the fact that people listened, but of course there were some people there who decided not to listen,” commented Hjördís Guðmundsdóttir, the public security officer, telling mbl.is. Civil Protection has asked people to stay away from the eruption sites due to gas pollution.
Guðmundsdóttir says she is not aware of any calls to police or rescue services for people at the eruption sites last night.
It says that nature is unpredictable, so it is difficult to know where the pollution lies. Today, the wind is forecast to blow northward, causing the pollution to blow south into the ocean.
“We hope that people will continue to listen and then we will let people know as soon as it’s safe.”
The first responders, the Civil Protection and the Icelandic Met Office started their meeting at 9 AM. Then at 11 AM, everyone involved, from rescue teams to the CDC, will meet.
“Of course, we try everything we can. We are not trying to keep the volcanic eruption out of people’s way, but to keep people’s public health safe.”
