British woman caught moment Iceland earthquake rocked boyfriend’s house
A woman on a trip to Iceland filmed her boyfriend’s home shaking as people evacuated during an earthquake.
Caitlin McLean, 34, and her partner Gisli Gunnarsson, 29, were forced to flee his home in Grindavík at midnight on Friday.
Her video shows furniture and light fixtures shaking violently while they rushed to pack up their belongings.
Music composer Gisli said: ‘At around four on Friday, [the earthquakes] just started being non-stop. Just constant big quakes for hours.
‘First and foremost, the thought that you might never see your hometown ever again, that’s tough.
‘We all rushed out of [Grindavík] so quickly, in a matter of hours, so we didn’t really think at the time that might possibly be the last time we see our home, so that’s been difficult.
‘It’s a pretty grim situation at the moment.’
Police ordered thousands of people in Grindavík to be evacuated after the earthquake, with Iceland’s Meteorological Office suggesting a ‘corridor of magma’ is now thought to be extending under the fishing town.
Locals were given just 15 minutes to return after the evacuation and gather pets and possessions before having to leave again.
Artist Caitlin, from Scotland, added the situation has been ‘difficult’ for people to understand.
‘I think it’s difficult for the residents to really process that,’ she said.
‘I think everyone’s still a wee bit shocked and it’s not really sinking in there is a possibility they’re not going to be able to go home.’
She urged volcano enthusiasts to avoid the area, and ‘be respectful’ to people whose lives have been impacted.
Caitlin added: ‘I would definitely say there’s been quite a lot of people wanting to fly over [to Iceland], like people that are interested in volcanoes and lava.
‘They’re trying to keep tourists away because there’s been people already trying to fly drones over the town.
‘I understand for a lot of people this is a big spectacle, but these people are losing their homes potentially, so just to be respectful.’
A state of emergency has been declared in the country after several earthquakes have indicated a volcanic eruption is soon to happen.
Over recent weeks thousands of tremors have been recorded around the nearby Fagradalsfjall volcano.
The famous Blue Lagoon landmark is closed and several warnings have been issued to tourists.
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