Tourists Are Told to Stay Away from Erupting Volcano in Iceland Because of Poisonous Gases 

People watch flowing lava during an volcanic eruption near Litli Hrutur, south-west of Reykjavik in Iceland on July 10, 2023. (AFP)
People watch flowing lava during an volcanic eruption near Litli Hrutur, south-west of Reykjavik in Iceland on July 10, 2023. (AFP)
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Tourists Are Told to Stay Away from Erupting Volcano in Iceland Because of Poisonous Gases 

People watch flowing lava during an volcanic eruption near Litli Hrutur, south-west of Reykjavik in Iceland on July 10, 2023. (AFP)
People watch flowing lava during an volcanic eruption near Litli Hrutur, south-west of Reykjavik in Iceland on July 10, 2023. (AFP)

Authorities in Iceland on Tuesday warned tourists and other spectators to stay away from a newly erupting volcano that is spewing lava and noxious gases from a fissure in the country’s southwest. 

The eruption began Monday afternoon after thousands of earthquakes in the area, meteorological authorities said. This one comes 11 months after its last eruption officially ended. The eruption is in an uninhabited valley near the Litli-Hrútur mountain, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik. 

The area, known broadly as Fagradalsfjall volcano, erupted in 2021 and 2022 without causing damage or disruptions to flights, despite being near Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s international air traffic hub. The airport remained open on Tuesday. 

The Icelandic Meteorological Office said the eruption was initially more explosive than the previous two. Aerial footage showed streams of orange molten lava and clouds of gases spewing from a snaking fissure about 900 meters (half a mile) long. 

“Gas pollution is high around the eruption and dangerous,” the Met Office said. “Travelers are advised not to enter the area until responders have had a chance to evaluate conditions.” 

By Tuesday morning, the fissure and the volume of the eruption had shrunk, scientists said. 

“This has become a small eruption, which is very good news,” University of Iceland geophysics professor Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson told national broadcaster RUV. 

He said the eruption could “certainly last a long time, but luckily we’re not looking at a continuation of what we saw in the first few hours.” 

A 2021 eruption in the same area produced spectacular lava flows for several months. Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to see the sight. 

Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, averages an eruption every four to five years. 

The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which sent huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere and led to widespread airspace closures over Europe. More than 100,000 flights were grounded, stranding millions of international travelers and halting air travel for days because of concerns the ash could damage jet engines.



Visibility Drops in Parts of Delhi as Pollution Surges

Indian people walk as the city is covered in smog near Rajpath in New Delhi, India, 13 November 2024.  (EPA)
Indian people walk as the city is covered in smog near Rajpath in New Delhi, India, 13 November 2024. (EPA)
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Visibility Drops in Parts of Delhi as Pollution Surges

Indian people walk as the city is covered in smog near Rajpath in New Delhi, India, 13 November 2024.  (EPA)
Indian people walk as the city is covered in smog near Rajpath in New Delhi, India, 13 November 2024. (EPA)

A toxic haze enveloped India's national capital on Wednesday morning as temperatures dropped and pollution surged, reducing visibility in some parts and prompting a warning from airport authorities that flights may be affected.

Delhi overtook Pakistan's Lahore as the world's most polluted city in Swiss group IQAir's live rankings, with an air quality index (AQI) score of more than 1,000, considered "hazardous", but India's pollution authority said the AQI was around 350.

Officials were not immediately available to explain the variation.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the pollution had reduced visibility to 100 meters (328 feet) in some places by around 8 a.m. (0230 GMT).

"Low visibility procedures" were initiated at the city's Indira Gandhi International Airport, operator Delhi International Airport Limited said in a post on social media platform X.

"While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected," the authority said.

CAT III is a navigation system that enables aircraft to land even when visibility is low.

The IMD said the city's temperature dropped to 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday morning from 17.9C on Tuesday, and may fall further as sunlight remains cut off due to the smog.

Delhi battles severe pollution every winter as cold, heavy air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from farm fires set off illegally in the adjoining, farming states of Punjab and Haryana.

Previously, authorities have closed schools, placed restrictions on private vehicles, and stopped some building work to curb the problem.

The city's environment minister said last week that the government was keen to use artificial rain to cut the smog.

Pakistan's Punjab province, which shares a border with India, has also banned outdoor activities, closed schools, and ordered shops, markets and malls to close early in some parts in an effort to protect its citizens from the toxic air.