Hundreds of Hikers Evacuated as Icelandic Volcano’s New Fissure Spews Lava

A volcano in southwest Iceland that erupted in late March has a new lava-spewing fissure that forced the evacuation of hundreds of hikers on Monday. The volcano, which is about 20 miles from the Icelandic capital Reykjavík, has caused tens of thousands of earthquakes in the past three weeks. Tourists have flocked to the fiery scene, with an estimated 30,000 visitors since the volcano reactivated. The new fissure spotted Monday is about 550 yards long, but poses no immediate threat to life since it’s far off from hiking paths, the Icelandic Department of Emergency Management said. Even so, the entire area was evacuated. Geophysicist Magnus Gudmundsson told the AP that the volcano’s activity may be entering a second stage and heading north. “We now see less lava coming from the two original craters,” he said. “This could be the beginning of second stage.”