Iceland volcanic eruption sets houses afire

REYKJAVIK: The ongoing volcanic eruption in southwest Iceland reached the port of Grindavik on Sunday where two houses caught on fire, according to surveillance footage broadcast by public television.

The few dozen residents who had returned to Grindavik after an earlier eruption were urgently evacuated overnight Saturday, hours before the latest eruption started.It was the North Atlantic nation´s fifth volcanic eruption in under three years.

The most recent occurred just weeks ago on December 18 in the same region, southwest of the capital Reykjavik.

The eruption began at 8:00 am (0800 GMT) on Sunday, the Meteorological Office (IMO) said.

Jets of glowing orange lava flowed out and a huge smoke cloud rose against the sky at sunrise.

“A crack has opened up on both sides of the dykes that have begun to be built north of Grindavik,” the Met Office wrote.

“From measurements from the Icelandic coastguard helicopter, the (lava´s) perimeter is now about 450 metres (yards) from the northernmost houses in the town,” it said.