Iceland volcano: Cracks open in roads as thousands queue for essentials from evacuated homes

Fissures in the road have opened around the area

Iceland is bracing for a major volcanic eruption "within hours or days" according to reports in the country.

Queues of cars snaked for miles near the town of Grindavík after thousands of residents who had earlier been evacuated were allowed to temporarily return home to collect pets and essentials.

Experts fear the town could be destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Some 340 tremors have been recorded in the country overnight on Sunday.

Over the weekend, Iceland’s road authority said on Facebook that all roads in and out of Grindavík had been closed with many of them in poor condition. Footage shows substantial damage to the Nesvegur road west of the town.

A long fissure has opened up in and around Grindavík due to “magma intrusion” which experts suspect has extended underneath the town, according to local media.

Reports say events like this have not been experienced in 50 years when an eruption caused extensive damage to the town of Vestmannaeyjar on the island of Heimaey.

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