Volcanoes in Iceland wake up after 200 years

A volcano in southern Iceland operated after nearly two centuries of quiet sleep, blowing dust and towering lava columns.

Eyjafjallajokull volcanic lava erupts from a crack about 1,000 km south of Iceland in the dawn of March 21.Photo: AP.

AP said the Eyjafjallajokull volcano - located near a glacier of the same name and about 120 kilometers east of the capital Reykjavik - began operating after midnight March 20 in local time. It spewed dust and lava columns several hundred meters tall. The TV station shows the lava flow along a crack. Many flights were canceled due to the fear of the volcano.

A government official said about 500 people living near the volcano were evacuated when they received a mobile phone warning message even though scientists claimed the eruption did not pose danger and bandage around. Volcanoes cannot melt to cause flooding. The area around the volcano has a low population density.

The state of emergency was issued in southern Iceland. Traffic activities on many roads are seriously affected. Evacuation centers were established near Hella, but many returned home last night.

"The ash fell to Fljotshlid and the people in the surrounding area said they saw the light emitting from the glacier," the website of RUV radio reported.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted after thousands of small earthquakes appeared in Iceland last month. Scientists are concerned about its activity that can awaken a larger and more dangerous volcano nearby.

Iceland, a country with 320,000 inhabitants, is located on the Atlantic volcanic belt, so there are many volcanoes, hot springs and huge geothermal resources. The phenomenon of volcanic eruptions is quite common in this country. Volcanoes are active after tectonic plates displace Earth's strata and molten rocks spray onto the surface.

Volcanic eruption video: