Volcano erupts near Eyjafallajoekull glacier in Iceland

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The volcano erupting near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier in Iceland

A volcano in the area of the Eyjafallajoekull glacier in southern Iceland erupted overnight for the first time in 189 years, forcing more than 500 people to evacuate their homes.

The eruption took place just before midnight by the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, the fifth largest glacier in Iceland. The volcano, which is 1,666m high and has a crater 4km in diameter, is covered by a large ice cap.

Authorities evacuated 400 people in an area southeast of the capital, Reykjavik, amid fears of flooding from the glacier melt. Three Red Cross centres were opened in nearby villages to look after evacuees.

"We estimate that no one is in danger in the area but we have started an evacuation plan and between 500 and 600 people are being evacuated" said Sigurgeir Gudmundsson of the Icelandic civil protections department.

A state of emergency has been declared in communities near the 100 square mile glacier, however no damage or casualties have been reported so far.

“We do not at this moment know the full extent of the eruption but a team is flying over the site now to evaluate the situation,” said said Vidir Reynisson, the department manager for the Icelandic Civil Protection Department.

The Icelandic public radio station RUV reported that three Iceland-bound Icelandair flights, out of Boston, Orlando and Seattle, had been ordered to turn back to the United States.

"Ash has already begun to fall in Fljotshlid and people in the surrounding area have reported seeing bright lights emanating from the glacier," RUV said on its website.

"There is currently no sign of flooding, but it could be imminent according to experts," it added. "It is not clear exactly where the eruption is taking place but it is being investigated."

RUV later reported that the eruption had been limited to an area where there is little ice, reducing the threat of flooding. However it said this could change if the eruption spreads along the fault line.

It was reported there had been hundreds of earthquakes at the epicentre of the volcano earlier this month that could be felt in nearby towns.

A European volcanic island in the North Atlantic, Iceland is largely an arctic desert with mountains, glaciers and volcanoes and agricultural areas in the lowlands close to the coastline.

The volcano in the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier last erupted in 1821 and 1823.