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Warnings of Bali volcano eruption spark exodus

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Warnings of Bali volcano eruption spark exodus
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Warnings of Bali volcano eruption spark exodus

2017-09-28 11:56 Last Updated At:11:56

Warnings that the Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of nearly 100,000 people that is likely to continue to swell.

In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, a Balinese man watches Mount Agung volcano covered with clouds at a temple in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia.(AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, a Balinese man watches Mount Agung volcano covered with clouds at a temple in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia.(AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this series of images by Associated Press photographer Firdia Lisnawati, villagers living within a high-danger zone that in places extends 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the crater have been evacuated, and others farther away are also leaving. Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visited a sports center serving as temporary accommodation in a district south of the volcano on Tuesday.

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In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, a Balinese man watches Mount Agung volcano covered with clouds at a temple in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia.(AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, a Balinese man watches Mount Agung volcano covered with clouds at a temple in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia.(AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

Women carry offerings at a temple about 10 kilometers (6.3 miles) from Mount Agung volcano, rear, at Pemuteran village in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Women carry offerings at a temple about 10 kilometers (6.3 miles) from Mount Agung volcano, rear, at Pemuteran village in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

In this Sept. 23, 2017, file photo, villagers sit in a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of villagers living within a high danger zone that in places extends 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Mount Agung's crater. But people further away are also leaving. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 23, 2017, file photo, villagers sit in a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of villagers living within a high danger zone that in places extends 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Mount Agung's crater. But people further away are also leaving. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 20, 2017, file photo, Balinese people carry their offerings to pray at a temple in Bali, Indonesia. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, according to Indonesia's disaster agency. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 20, 2017, file photo, Balinese people carry their offerings to pray at a temple in Bali, Indonesia. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, according to Indonesia's disaster agency. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, volunteers prepare a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia for evacuees fleeing the possible eruption of Mount Agung volcano. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, the country's disaster agency. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, volunteers prepare a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia for evacuees fleeing the possible eruption of Mount Agung volcano. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, the country's disaster agency. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, greets villagers at an evacuees' camp in Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, the country's disaster agency said. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, greets villagers at an evacuees' camp in Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, the country's disaster agency said. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

Women carry offerings at a temple about 10 kilometers (6.3 miles) from Mount Agung volcano, rear, at Pemuteran village in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Women carry offerings at a temple about 10 kilometers (6.3 miles) from Mount Agung volcano, rear, at Pemuteran village in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

The region is being rattled daily by hundreds of tremors from the mountain, which volcanologists say indicates a high chance of an eruption. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing about 1,100 people.

In this Sept. 23, 2017, file photo, villagers sit in a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of villagers living within a high danger zone that in places extends 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Mount Agung's crater. But people further away are also leaving. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 23, 2017, file photo, villagers sit in a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of villagers living within a high danger zone that in places extends 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Mount Agung's crater. But people further away are also leaving. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 20, 2017, file photo, Balinese people carry their offerings to pray at a temple in Bali, Indonesia. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, according to Indonesia's disaster agency. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 20, 2017, file photo, Balinese people carry their offerings to pray at a temple in Bali, Indonesia. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, according to Indonesia's disaster agency. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, volunteers prepare a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia for evacuees fleeing the possible eruption of Mount Agung volcano. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, the country's disaster agency. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, volunteers prepare a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia for evacuees fleeing the possible eruption of Mount Agung volcano. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, the country's disaster agency. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, greets villagers at an evacuees' camp in Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, the country's disaster agency said. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, greets villagers at an evacuees' camp in Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia. Warnings that a volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali will erupt have sparked an exodus of more than 75,000 people that is likely to continue to swell, the country's disaster agency said. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

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Volcano erupts in southwestern Iceland after a nearby town and spa are evacuated

2025-04-02 08:24 Last Updated At:08:32

GRINDAVIK, Iceland (AP) — A volcano in southwestern Iceland that has erupted repeatedly for more than a year again belched lava and smoke into the air on Tuesday, just hours after authorities evacuated the few remaining residents of a nearby fishing village.

The eruption began at 9:45 a.m. local time (0945 GMT), triggering warning sirens in the town of Grindavik where webcams showed molten rock spewing toward the community. It had subsided by late afternoon, though the volcano was still active, Iceland's Met Office said.

Police and civil defense officials evacuated Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, after an early morning earthquake swarm suggested an eruption was imminent.

The community, located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, was largely evacuated in November 2023 when the volcano came to life after lying dormant for some 800 years.

About 40 homes were evacuated on Tuesday, though police reported that some residents refused to leave their homes.

“Those individuals who choose to remain in the town don't seem to consider that I have 50 people involved in this operation, some of whom are volunteers,” Úlfar Lúðvíksson, police commissioner in South Iceland, told local broadcaster RUV. “I would ask that more consideration be shown towards civil defense.”

Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic. The most disruptive incident in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed clouds of ash into the atmosphere and disrupted trans-Atlantic air travel for months.

Flights were not affected by Tuesday's eruption.

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

FILE -Panoramic view of the eruption site with the Blue Lagoon area to the right and the active fissure in the far background after the volcanic eruption that started on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, Nov.21, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco, File)

FILE -Panoramic view of the eruption site with the Blue Lagoon area to the right and the active fissure in the far background after the volcanic eruption that started on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, Nov.21, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco, File)

A view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

A view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

Scientists approach the southernmost part of the fissure to collect data following a volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

Scientists approach the southernmost part of the fissure to collect data following a volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

Scientists approach the southernmost part of the fissure to collect data following a volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

Scientists approach the southernmost part of the fissure to collect data following a volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

A view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

A view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

A view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

A view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

The volcanic eruption is seen in the background near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

The volcanic eruption is seen in the background near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

The volcanic eruption is seen in the background near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

The volcanic eruption is seen in the background near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

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