Blue Lagoon temporarily closes as spate of earthquakes prompt fears of volcanic eruption
One of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions has closed after the Reykjanes peninsula was hit by about 1,400 earthquakes in 24 hours, a “seismic swarm” that has prompted fears of an imminent volcanic eruption.
The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa south-west of Reykjavík, announced it would close its doors on Thursday for a week after a particularly powerful earthquake hit just after midnight followed by about 800 smaller quakes.
Dozens of terrified guests reportedly fled the resort, which has two hotels, in taxis overnight after the earthquakes began. The Icelandic news website Víkurfréttir reported that about 40 guests had left overnight, adding that rocks had fallen on the road up to the hotel lobby.
The Blue Lagoon said it had made a “proactive decision to temporarily close its operations for one week” due to the “disruption” to guests on Wednesday night and the “prolonged strain on our employees”.
“Blue Lagoon will closely monitor the developments of seismic activity in the upcoming days and reevaluate the situation accordingly,” it added in a statement.
