Icelandic police have evacuated Grindavik, a fishing town in the southwest of the island, after growing legal concerns over a possible volcanic eruption, which prompted civil protection authorities to declare a state of emergency in the region. Authorities have also raised the air alert to orange, indicating an increased risk of volcanic eruption. Law enforcement’s decision came after recent seismic activity in the area shifted south toward the city and monitoring revealed that a magma corridor now extends beneath the city. The town of 3,400 inhabitants is located on the Reykjanes peninsula, about 50 kilometers southwest of the capital Reykjavik.
