Land Continues To Rise, Svartsengi Power Plant Evacuated Due To Gas Pollution

The land under Svartsengi continues to rise despite the eruption, reports RÚV, citing the Facebook page of the Southern Volcanoes and Natural Hazards Group.

Due to gas pollution from the eruption, the Svartsengi Power Plant was evacuated on Monday morning. Energy company HS Orka, decided to evacuate the power plant after a consultation with the Civil Defense. According to Birna Lárusdóttir, a representative from HS Orka, a few workers had been at the power plant working on important tasks, but when gas meters in the area warned of high levels of gas pollution, the decision was made to evacuate.

“This is something we are always prepared to do in this kind of situation,” says Birna.

If the wind direction changes in the afternoon, the staff will return to the power plant to carry out the planned tasks.

The Grapevine’s Catharine Fulton visited the eruption site on Sunday, March 17. She and photographer Art Bicnick bring the latest updates in the video below.