Dramatic footage shows molten lava consuming several homes in Grindavik
The wife of Liverpool FC owner John W Henry has revealed the terrifying moment she was woken by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Linda Pizzuti Henry posted videos and several pictures of the disaster on social media after the eruption and the resulting ‘160ft fountains of lava’ caused her to flee with her son Xander.
Dramatic footage shows molten lava consuming several homes on the northernmost tip of Grindavik, which lies around 25 miles away from Iceland’s capital Reykjavík.
The eruption began just before 8am local time yesterday, before a second fissure, which is currently a kilometre (3,280ft) wide and growing, opened up at around midday. Experts have said that more fissures may open up over the coming days.
Mrs Pizzuti, who is married to Liverpool owner John W Henry, was visiting Iceland with her son Xander to see the Northern lights when they were woken up by a series of earthquakes and were told to evacuate.
Mrs Pizzuti Henry (right), who is married to Liverpool owner John W Henry (left), was visiting Iceland with her son Xander to see the Northern lights when they were woken up by a series of earthquakes and were told to evacuate
Mrs Pizzuti Henry (right), who is married to Liverpool owner John W Henry (left), was visiting Iceland with her son Xander to see the Northern lights when they were woken up by a series of earthquakes and were told to evacuate
She added: ‘Xander (pictured), who loves science and geology, was understandably nervous to be suddenly woken up and evacuated, but he became fascinated once he knew that everyone was safe’
She added: ‘Xander (pictured), who loves science and geology, was understandably nervous to be suddenly woken up and evacuated, but he became fascinated once he knew that everyone was safe’
Footage from above shows the terrifying ‘fountains of lava’ Mrs Pizzuti described
Footage from above shows the terrifying ‘fountains of lava’ Mrs Pizzuti described
She recounted the terrifying experience to her 130,000 followers on Instagram. The CEO of Boston Globe wrote: ‘I woke up at around 3.45am from the bed shaking in my hotel room.
‘I thought it may be a low scale earthquake, but the tremors kept coming at about the same intensity, so I wasn’t sure.
‘I called down to the hotel desk and there wasn’t an answer… I got my son up and we started to get dressed when an emergency alarm then went off, and we were told we had to evacuate. We quickly grabbed our bags and followed instructions.
‘We experienced an intense series of around 200 earthquakes – largest measuring 3.5 magnitude (according to officials). We went to the airport to catch a flight out in case it got worse.
‘A 3200-foot long volcanic fissure opened the earth at around 8 AM, and this is the video I took from the plane taking off just after 9 AM. Fountains of lava have reached 160 feet high.’
This comes after another series of earthquake caused Grindavik’s inhabitants to be evacuated last month.
The town was ultimately spared as the lava flowed in a different direction from the town.
Mrs Pizzuti added: ‘The first fissure is growing, this afternoon a second fissure opened, and a slow moving river of lava is flowing, reaching the village where a few houses in the evacuated village of Grindavik have caught fire.
‘We are so impressed with how well Iceland manages its beautiful and wild land.
‘Xander, who loves science and geology, was understandably nervous to be suddenly woken up and evacuated, but he became fascinated once he knew that everyone was safe.
‘Our thoughts are with Iceland, hoping that there is no major infrastructure damage, everyone remains safe, and that the people of Grindavík are able to return home soon.’
Mrs Pizzuti recounted the terrifying experience to her 130,000 followers on Instagram . The CEO of Boston Globe wrote: ‘I woke up at around 3.45am from the bed shaking in my hotel room’
Mrs Pizzuti recounted the terrifying experience to her 130,000 followers on Instagram . The CEO of Boston Globe wrote: ‘I woke up at around 3.45am from the bed shaking in my hotel room’
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said that lava is currently just 1,500 ft away from the northernmost houses in the town of Grindavik
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said that lava is currently just 1,500 ft away from the northernmost houses in the town of Grindavik
A plume of smoke, illuminated by lava spewing from a volcano near the town of Grindavik, is seen from a distance over the country’s capital of Reykjavík
A plume of smoke, illuminated by lava spewing from a volcano near the town of Grindavik, is seen from a distance over the country’s capital of Reykjavík.
