At least three homes have been torched in Iceland after lava from a volcanic eruption hit the fishing town of Grindavik, with the prime minister declaring it a “black day”.
Officials said much of the town was protected by defensive walls which were built at the onset of intense seismic activities in November.
PM Katrín Jakobsdóttir called for calm and urged residents to stick together and look out for one another.
She said: “Today is a black day for Grindavík and today is a black day for all of Iceland, but the sun will rise again. “Together we will deal with this shock and whatever may come. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
The eruption has subsided with a reduction in lava flow by the houses, according to Böðvar Sveinsson, a natural disaster expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
Nearly 4,000 residents have been evacuated and there were no reports of injury or death, although some farm animals were not able to be moved.
A volcano in southwest Iceland, north of Grindavik, erupted earlier on Sunday.
