900 tremors hit town in Iceland, scores shifted

COPENHAGEN: Some 900 earthquakes hit southern Iceland on Monday, authorities said, adding to tens of thousands of tremors that rattled the region in recent weeks as the country braces for what could become a significant volcanic eruption.

Almost 4,000 people were evacuated over the weekend as authorities feared that molten rock would rise to the surface of the earth and potentially hit a coastal town and a geothermal power station. "We have this tremendous uncertainty now; will there be an eruption and if so, what sort of damage will occur," said Matthew James Roberts, director of the service and research division at the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Inhabitants of the town of Grindavik described being whisked from their homes in the early hours of Saturday as the ground shook, roads cracked and buildings suffered structural damage.

The Reykjanes peninsula is a volcanic and seismic hot spot. The area had lain dormant for almost 800 years until early 2020, when intense seismic activity started. Magma rose to the surface in 2021, only to emerge again in August 2022 and July this year. AGENCIES