in-depth Iceland news coverage

More than 1000 tourists have called to the emergency number that the Tourist Board put on their website to assist people who have lost their accommodation.
mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson

Over a thousand calls have been made through the Icelandic Tourist Board’s emergency number, which was set up to help hotel guests who have lost their hotel accommodation in Reykjavík due to an ongoing strike, according to Jóhannes Þór Skúlason, director of the Icelandic Association of Tourists.

“This shows that the problem is real and will just continue to be a problem throughout the week as this situation continues. It will increase significantly after the work ban hits on Thursday. Then it will spread through other accommodations in the capital area,” he tells mbl.is.

He says no emergency resources have yet to be opened for tourists so far.

Disrupting travel plans

When asked, he says that the situation poses a major problem for tourists who have already come to Iceland.

“For example, they have to cancel their reservations they had already taken. Then they have to look for other accommodations that are largely booked for them here in the capital area. They have to look outside the…

Gunnar Freyr Gunnarsson loves travelling and wants to share his amazing experiences.
Photo/Peter Mckinnon

The photographer Gunnar Freyr Gunnarsson now has his own space on the travel website

Rexby.com

, a site where influencers, photographers and other travelers alike share their expertise. Gunnarsson is known for the

Icelandic Explorer

site, among other things.

“I’ve traveled all over the country and have built up a well of knowledge about Iceland, which is valuable for people coming here – or for those just want to learn more about Iceland,” Gunnarsson says, explaining that each person has their own page on Rexby.com, which contains maps, travel plans and advice.

Lives for travelling

“It starts with a map where you put in all the places you recommend and then you put your own pictures. For example, you can post pictures of some nice scenery, such as countryside, favorite hotels, restaurants, cafés, baths, and pools — and places most people don’t know about. Once you have made a map, you can make specially designed plans that tourists can also buy and follow.






This will in fact people the opportunity to get travel plan that they can follow from A to Z,” Gunnarsson says in explaining the idea behind Rexby.

He says the…

Northeast of Fagradalsfjall is where most of the activity has been detected today.
mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson

“Specialists are saying that it looks like magma eruption could be causing the earthquakes. Either this will die down or the magma will find a way to the surface. More small earthquakes would suggest that.”

This is what the geologist and former member of Parliament, Ari Trausti Guðmundsson, writes on his Facebook page about the series of earthquakes in the Reykjanes peninsula today.

He points out that at 16:30 PM there had already 465 earthquakes been detected, and a lot of them were 4-8 km below the surface, a few over 10 km and quite a few had their source 1-4 km under the surface. Data from the so called detection system, “Earthquake-Alice”, which monitors earthquakes at the Met Office shows this and it looks like the source is somewhere on a northeast linejust north of Merardalir and 3-4 km northeast of Fagradalsfjall.

At 16:33 there was an earthquake that was clearly felt in the Reykjavík area at 3.1M and 2.3 km under the surface. Webcams from the area are being monitored in case of an eruption, especially if there is a break in the series of earthquakes, but that could a cue signifying a possible eruption.

Encouraging people to be careful

The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management issued an uncertainty level warning today because of the earthquakes, especially in Krýsuvík because of incoming and outgoing flights, but main activity is, however,northeast of Fagradalsfjall.

People in the area are encouraged to make sure no lose objects in their homes could fall down, in case of a strong earthquake, especially around beds when people are sleeping.

Furthermore, people are warned about possible mudslides in steep areas, and hikers and others in the outdoors should be aware of an added danger at this time.

Closely monitoring the area

Authorities are…