Evacuations in Iceland as another volcanic eruption begins

Smoke and lava seen as the volcano erupts near the town of Grindavik in Iceland

Officials in Iceland have evacuated homes in the town of Grindavik and nearby tourist spa resort Blue Lagoon after the area was hit by another volcanic eruption.

The volcano began spewing lava shortly after residents were evacuated.

Multiple earthquakes occurred in the area throughout the day, which officials took as a warning of the eruption.

This eruption is the 11th since 2021 in the area. However, residents have been warned this could be much bigger than previous eruptions.

Smoke seen as the volcano erupts near the town of Grindavik in Iceland

The fiery display of orange and red spewing lava has created a huge crack in the ground believed to be at least 1.2km long.

And a second crack has also opened between Grindavík's protective barriers and the town.

Regional police said they had completed the evacuation of Grindavík, with the exception of a small number of residents who refused to leave.

The town's 4,000 residents are no strangers to evacuations, with many of them previously leaving in a mass evacuation in 2023 because of the dangers of the volcanic activity.

A resident who has spoken to the BBC described how they are always ready to leave with a bag packed as they are used to living near the volcano.