Emergency phase declared
It is not yet known where exactly the eruption is and how far it is from Grindavík. Photo/Ragnheiður Gunnarsdóttir
The National Police Commissioner, in consultation with the local Chief of Police in the affected area of Sudurnes, has decided to enter the state of emergency phase of the Civil Protection Agency due to the volcanic eruption in the Reykjanes peninsula. The Civil Protection Coordination Centre has been activated.
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"We want to start by asking people not enter the site at all. We don't know how far the eruption is from Grindavík. It won't be clear until a helicopter survey has been completed," says Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, PR representative at the Civil Protection Agency.
"At first glance this seems larger than the last eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, which is why it's very important that people do not go to the site," Guðmundsdóttir says.
She says that there is no information of anyone being inside Grindavik but impossible to exclude the possibility.
"The eruption is not inside the town, although not far away. And we don't yet have a precise location. Emergency responders need time to ensure everyone's safety. Searching for people on top of that would not help things. That is why we stress that no one should be in the area," says Gudmundsdottir.
