Iceland’s Blue Lagoon spa closes as earthquakes prompt volcanic eruption fears

Bathers enjoy the warm water of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa – one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions – has closed temporarily as a swarm of earthquakes put the nation’s most populated region on alert for a volcanic eruption.

Guests rushed to leave the spa’s hotels in the early hours of Thursday, after they were woken up shortly before 1am by a magnitude 4.8 quake, the strongest to hit the region since the recent wave of seismic activity began on October 25.