Volcano erupts

Government authorities ordered the evacuation of hundreds of residents as a volcano erupted unexpectedly in southern Iceland on 20 March 2010. The volcano began spewing lava and ash at around 2330 local time/UTC near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier. More than 500 residents have reportedly been evacuated from the eruption zone, which is located approximately 100 mi/160 km southeast of Reykjavik. Red Cross rescue workers have set up evacuation centers for affected residents in the nearby town of Hella. Although the volcano continues to erupt, and lava flows are expected for the next few days, there have been no reports of any damage or injuries. Three international passenger flights that had departed the U.S. for destinations in Europe were diverted to Boston’s Logan International Airport (KBOS/BOS) to avoid entering the airspace around Iceland where a large cloud of ash has formed. All domestic flights in Iceland have reportedly been canceled until further notice.