Iceland on Friday declared a ‘state of emergency’ after a series of small and medium intensity earthquakes jolted the southwest Reykjanes peninsula in the country. In an official statement, the authorities of Iceland warned that the seismic activity may also result in volcanic eruptions in the country. The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management of Iceland said, “The National police chief … declares a state of emergency for civil defence due to the intense earthquake (activity) at Sundhnjukagigar, north of Grindavik.” “Earthquakes can become larger than those that have occurred and this series of events could lead to an eruption,” the administration added in the statement. The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) said that the possible volcanic eruptions in Iceland could take place “in several days”. On Friday, southwest Reykjanes peninsula was hit by around 4,000 small to medium intensity earthquakes. According to preliminary IMO figures, the biggest tremor had a magnitude of 5.2, north of Grindavik, a village on the Reykjanes peninsula. Some 24,000 tremors have been recorded on the peninsula since late October, according to the IMO, with “a dense swarm” of nearly 800 quakes registered between midnight and 2 pm GMT Friday. The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, has been closed temporariliy due to the possibility of the eruptions.
