New volcano eruption believes starting in southern Iceland

STOCKHOLM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- All indications showed a new eruption was starting in Eyjafjallajokull glacier in southern Iceland, according to reports reaching here from Reykjavik on Wednesday.

"Rivers are growing bigger and smoke was seen over the glacier this morning," geologist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson was quoted as saying by the Icelandic newspaper online The Iceland Review.

"Indications are that an eruption has already started under the glacier. Rivers close to the glacier are growing. Markarfljot, the biggest river close to the glacier is growing at a fast rate. At this moment it is difficult to estimate the size of the eruption," Gudmundsson added.

"Most likely the top crater at Eyjafjallajokull glacier had started to erupt. That volcano has been dormant since the 1821-1823 eruption," volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson told the Icelandic national broadcaster RUV.

Earthquake activity started late Tuesday night in the area. About 800 people in the area were evacuated Wednesday morning, but some were allowed to go to their farms to attend to animals later. However, they were asked to return to safer places at 8:00 a.m.

Roads to the area have been closed both from the east and the west, according to the staff of Iceland's civil protection.

Two airplanes flying over Eyjafjallajokull Wednesday morning indicated that smoke is coming up in a new place to the south west of the eruption in Fimmvorduhsals. This might be the beginning of a new eruption, much more dangerous than the previous eruption, said Iceland Review.