Despite Disaster, Seyðisfjörður Residents Adorn Town For The Holidays

Residents of the northeast Iceland village of Seyðisfjörður—or the ones who’ve been able to return after last week’s landslides demolished over a dozen houses—are to all appearances doing their level best to bring their community together, right down to the Christmas lights.

Vísir photographer Vilhelm Gunnarsson took these poignant photos during an evening walk around the town. As can be seen, many homes are adorned with holiday lights, and even the town Christmas tree is lit up.

305 residents of Seyðisfjörður were allowed to return home last Sunday, just days after landslides, and the danger of more to come, necessitated evacuating the entire town. Seyðisfjörður is still on alert over the potential for further landslides, which were brought on by days of consistent and heavy rains.

In all, fourteen homes were destroyed in the landslides, although no one was killed or injured injured in the disaster. Rescue workers and representatives from the Red Cross are on the scene around the clock in Seyðisfjörður, and where the 276 people who still cannot return home will continue their lives is still uncertain.

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