Iceland Volcano: ‘It is like the gates of hell... but pretty’

Ignoring warnings from Icelandic authorities, visitors continue to flock to the Fagradalsfjall volcano—a stone’s throw from the country’s Keflavik Airport—that erupted last week.

The volcanic fissure, caused by over 3,000 earthquakes recorded in recent days, is occurring about 10 miles from the international airport and about 20 miles from the capital city of Reykjavik.

Close watch
The eruption Wednesday in an uninhabited part of the Reykjanes Peninsula has not caused any significant damage yet but is being closely watched by the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO)—and the public at large.

Pretty sight
“We were trekking down here and I was like ‘We have to stop.’ I had to sit down and have a little cry because it is so beautiful and so emotional,” a couple told BBC.

A video of the volcano has garnered hundreds of thousands of views since being shared online.

“It is like the gates of hell… but pretty,” one person said.