Video: Products fell off the shelves and the store was evacuated

Products fell from shelves in the largest earthquakes today in Nettó in Grindavík. The decision was made to evacuate the store and close it shortly before the usual closing time.

Heiðar Róbert Birnusson, the operations manager of Nettó, says that it has not yet been decided when the store will reopen and that the priority is simply to ensure the safety of employees.

“We were ready for a product count and the store was open. It was decided to cancel the count. Then in the most intense earthquakes, it was decided to evacuate the store, close it and send employees out of the store,” he tells us.

Booked hotel rooms in Reykjavík

“There were products falling off shelves and the safety of staff was threatened. So we decided to get people out of the building. Next thing we had to do was to see if everyone had a safe place to stay. We booked twelve hotel rooms in Reykjavík for staff who didn’t have safe places to go to.”

Nettó has assisted employees tonight in getting set for the night or the weekend. The situation will be evaluated in the coming days.

Birnuson says it is not a priority to reopen the store, there are basically no employees left in the town and few residents.

“There was actually one employee left in town who could handle supplies for the rescue team this evening,” he says, adding that Nettó will try to be of assistance to the rescuetem and first responders if necessary.