"This Is The End": Say Displaced People Of Iceland As Volcanic Eruptions Continue (image: svreengrab from X video @TomasDoupal)
For over 800 years, the Reykjanes peninsula of Iceland has been a peaceful abode for thousands. But over past few months, the fiery volcanic fissures have been opening, spilling scorching hot lines of lava across the landscape. Last month, several homes in Grindavik was destroyed by the molten rock that surged the town. Though the fires have been dampened, the rock record suggest that there are more to come.
Natives of Grindavik said that they thought it was “the end”. Sigurdur Enoksson, who owns a family bakery in Grindavik said, “I think we lost this battle…after 29 years of having my bakery, I think this is the end. I think we are not coming back to Grindavik”.
Though the latest volcanic eruption did not pose direct threat to the town, the lava hit water pipes in the region, affecting hot water supply to more than 20,000 people. A state emergency has been declared in Iceland after the incident. People are asked to limit their hot water and electricity use as the pipes will take to fix. Iceland’s Civil Protection and Emergency Management said it was trying to figure out how to guarantee the access to hot water supply for those had their system disrupted.
Life is disrupted for thousands in the Reykjanes peninsula. Last month, Katrin Jakobsdottir, the Prime Minister of Iceland said that the government was considering about taking over the properties and offering compensation. The government has offered the effected town’s residents financial help for accommodation as well as economic support.
After the latest eruption, which happened this week, the residents of Grindavik fear that this may be blow for the people from the town. The don’t believe their town will be safe again, as it is now cracked open everywhere. “it has built on lava that has opened. That happened 800 years ago too. We can’t control it. You don’t mess with nature”, said Sigurdur, as quoted by The Guardian.
The residents of the town were not given a return date. It is still unclear when the town will be safe to inhabit again.
The recent volcanic eruptions in the southern Iceland were mainly lava pouring out from fissures rather than volcanic explosions. An associate professor of Volcanology at Leeds University, Dr Ilyinskaya said that this week’s eruption was same in general as the one that took place in December last year, which means it is unlikely to cause more damage to the abandoned town of Grindavik. Around 4,000 residents of the town told BBC that they do not expect to return to their homes again.
The Iceland has 33 active volcanic systems and is located over what is called as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between the two largest tectonic plates of the planet. The last time Reykjanes experienced a period of volcanic activity was over 800 years ago, during which the eruption went on for decades.
The latest eruption is the sixth one since 2021. Scientist believe that the area is entering a new volcanic era. Scientist believe that eruptions could last many years or even centuries.
