Iceland Volcano Eruption Triggers Safety Warning From Meteorological Office

(Bloomberg) -- A volcanic eruption that started last month in Iceland is starting to pose a bigger threat to human safety than initially anticipated as the flow of lava spreads.

“The area has become more dangerous,” Kristin Jonsdottir at Iceland’s Met Office told state broadcaster RUV. She says the risk now is that the lava might quickly shift direction, potentially encircling onlookers.

The site has been cordoned off since Monday, after attracting thousands of people eager to catch a glimpse of the eruption, which was the first on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula in almost 800 years.

The area remained closed on Tuesday as poisonous gases spewed from the opening. Fresh lava flowed into a nearby valley, with about seven cubic meters pouring through each second.

To live stream the event, click here.

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