Iceland volcano flares up in 7th eruption in a year, as Grindavík evacuates residents

A volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland flared again late Wednesday night, marking the region's seventh eruption in just one year. 

Lava burst from a crack in the ground before midnight local time, originating in a spot where there has been a resurgence of volcanic activity. It happened quickly and sent a molten stream traveling toward the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's most famous tourist attraction. It's a geothermal spa set in a lava field just outside the town of Grindavík that draws nearly a million visitors each year.

Tourists were evacuated from the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's national broadcaster RÚV reported. Some can be seen venturing startlingly close to the magma, in an apparent effort to capture the eruption on their phones, in a video published by the broadcaster. Response crews ushered them to safety before the magma roiled farther over the area, covering a section of the parking lot adjacent to the Blue Lagoon as well as a critical pipeline that funnels hot water from a geothermal power station, called Svartsengi, into the spa and around the peninsula.