REYKJAVIK, Nov 21, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A volcano erupted late Wednesday on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, the national weather service said, the seventh since last December.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said in a statement that the eruption took place at the Sundhnuksgigar volcanic fissure, outside the town of Grindavik, at 2314 GMT.

Live footage showed lava gushing from a long fissure at the scene.

IMO specialist Benedikt Ofeigsson told public radio RAS2 that no infrastructure was currently threatened, but Grindavik -- a small fishing town -- was being evacuated.

The eruption is the seventh since December and comes after years of increased seismic activity in the region.

Iceland is home to 33 active volcanoes.