A volcanic eruption in southwest Iceland on Tuesday forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavík and the nearby Blue Lagoon tourist site, as lava and smoke poured from a newly opened fissure.

Tourists and residents have been evacuated as a volcano erupted in south-west Iceland, threatening a town and popular attraction. The volcano has been spewing lava and smoke in a fiery display of orange and red since the eruption began in the morning, creating a huge crack in the ground which has grown to 1.2km (0.75 miles) long.

Iceland’s Meteorological Office reported that the eruption began at approximately 9:45 AM local time, just north of Grindavík. Authorities evacuated around 40 homes ahead of the eruption, as well as tourists from the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.