Last night, around 140 people from almost all rescue groups in southwestern Iceland worked in bad weather in the Reykjanes eruption area and the surrounding mountains. Steinar Þórður Kristinsson, Landsbjörg’s operations manager in Grindavík, said on the news that dozens of people had been brought down from the mountains. They were very tired and cold.
No one was seriously injured, but many became hypothermic. Assistance was provided to 38 people at the help point temporarily established by the Red Cross in Hópsskóli in Grindavík.
“We picked people up from the side of the road and the mountains. We saved their data and compared it with the data of owners of stationary cars “ Steinar said.
There is poor cellular coverage at the site of the eruption, so it is difficult to reach people or track their phones. The search was therefore based on the data of the owners of the cars parked in the places from which people were leaving to the eruption site.
The people who were assisted were in different conditions and in different places. “A lot of the lost were west of Fagradalsfjall – we brought them from the lava fields to the road.”
There was also a large group of people who made it to the road on their own but were already very tired. “Some sat on the side of the road in Festarfjall because they were completely exhausted.” Steinar added.
Journalist Sunna Valgerðardóttir reported in the morning news that more people are traveling to Fagradalsfjall, despite the warning of rising levels of hazardous gases and despite the yellow weather alert.
Source: Yle