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The Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupts in southern Iceland - Source: Reuters -
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A volcanic eruption in Iceland spewed black smoke and white
steam into the air and partly melted a glacier, setting off a major
flood that threatened to damage roads and bridges.
The plume was seen rising from a crater under about 200 metres of
ice at the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, close to the site of another
eruption which started last month and died down only on Monday,
Icelandic state radio reported.
The Icelandic Civil Defence Authority ordered 700 people to
evacuate their homes and said melting ice from the glacier had
caused big floods that threatened to damage a highway and several
bridges, an official said.
"We have had to dig some holes in the road so the flood could pass
through and ease pressure on the bridges," Rognvaldur Olafsson, who
is leading the rescue effort, said.
Three large holes which were visible on the glacier in the morning
had turned into a continuous rift running for about two kilometres
through the ice, he added.
Scientists had measured increased seismic activity near the glacier
about two hours before the volcano started to erupt on Wednesday,
local media reported.
In March, another volcano erupted near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier
but caused no casualties.
The volcano, situated beneath Iceland's fifth largest glacier, has
erupted five times since Iceland was settled in the ninth
century.
Iceland sits on a volcanic hotspot in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and
has relatively frequent eruptions, though most occur in sparsely
populated areas and pose little danger to people or property. The
last eruption before that in March was in 2004.
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