Iceland Volcano erupts for fith time since December, spews massive lava

Reykjavik [Iceland], May 30 : For the fifth time since December, a volcano in southwest Iceland erupted on Wednesday, spewing massive lava shooting forth that threatened to shut off the town of Grindavik and forced the famed Blue Lagoon to be evacuated, CNN reported.

Red-hot lava jets shot upwards along a 3.4-kilometer (two-mile) fissure near Mount Hagafell on the Reykjanes Peninsula, as captured in dramatic video and photos from the area.

"The first estimate of scientists is that the start of this eruption is more vigorous than in previous eruptions in the area," CNN cited Icelandic Meteorological Office's statement.

The volcano's eruption began at around 1 pm (local time) on Wednesday following an earthquake at the Sundhnuks crater, Iceland's public broadcaster RUV reported.

Notably, lava flows have cut off two out of three roads leading to the fishing town of Grindavik, according to CNN.

Grindavik is a town of about 3,000 people, was mostly evacuated before a previous eruption in December.

The residents who remain in the town have been urged to vacate the town to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

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