Situation may worsen in Iceland's sinking town, lava likely to flow from fissures for weeks, warn experts

Reykjavík, Iceland

A town has been rapidly sinking in Iceland as roads and buildings are torn apart by gaping chasms, and magma collects only a few hundred metres beneath the surface as the chances of a volcanic eruption increase. 

Magma has been making its way rapidly under Grindavik like an "underground freight train", stated the director at the Icelandic Met Office Matthew James Roberts, who further warned that "nature always wins if the eruption lasts long enough".  

Speaking to BBC, he stated that even if no explosive blast occurs near Fagradalsfjall volcano,  a low-intensity eruption can see lava flow from various fissures 'for weeks', possibly reaching Grindavik. 

Also Read: Over 20,000 tremors since late Oct: Iceland declares state of emergency over volcanic eruption threat

Scientists have stated that depending on where volcanic eruption takes place, it can 'certainly' flow into the fishing community, which had become a 'ghost town' after its 4,000 residents left on Saturday (Nov 11).

Walls getting constructed to control flow of lava

As the area prepares for an eruption, work has been underway to construct a huge wall urgently which can stop the lava from reaching the town or entering the nearby geothermal power plant.

The officials have also been constructing a large defensive wall, which is seen as the biggest in Iceland, to protect the Svartsengi geothermal power plant from lava in the worst-case scenario.

The Reykjanes Peninsula, which is located in Reykjavik's southwest, has been rocked by hundreds of tremors, and a 2,000-year-old fissure has been widening. 

The east of Grindavik has been deprived of electricity since Thursday morning (Nov 16), as power lines were ruptured by subsidence overnight.

Watch: Around 800 tremors strike Iceland, probability| of eruption remains high

The earth's continued movement has also seen bursts of hot water from underground pipes, with steam coming out from beneath homes and gaping cracks in roads.

As per experts, the activity indicates that there is "still something going" on in the magma corridor. "It's just been very similar to the past few days," stated Sigridur Kristjansdottir of the Norwegian Meteorological Agency, the Daily Mail reported.

"About eighty to a hundred earthquakes per hour, most below magnitude two, but a few above magnitude two. We also see an expansion in our GPS measurements, so there is still something going on," he added. 

(With inputs from agencies)