Volcano erupts in Iceland, sending lava past protective barriers

Defensive walls had been placed around the volcano in hopes of directing the magma away from the community. But officials said the walls had breached.

A volcano erupted in southwestern Iceland Sunday for the second time in less than a month, sending semi-molten rock toward a nearby settlement.

The eruption just before 8 a.m. came after a swarm of earthquakes near the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. The community was evacuated overnight.

A crack opened near homes just a few hours later and moved to the community's outskirts.

"Right now, a new fissure opened south of the first fissure from this morning,'' Iceland's Met office said in a statement. "The new crack is just outside the town limits.''

The 3,800 residents of Grindavik were previously evacuated from their homes in November following a series of earthquakes that led to cracks and openings in the earth between the town and Sýlingarfell, a small mountain to the north. The nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa — one of Iceland's biggest tourist attractions — also closed temporarily. The volcano eventually erupted on Dec. 18.