Tourists in Iceland warned to 'think four times' before heading to volcano eruption site

Police said a hiker had to be rescued by helicopter after becoming 'exhausted, cold, and shocked, halfway to the eruption'

The Icelandic meteorological office said on Wednesday that the power, seismicity, and deformation of the volcanic fissure eruption, which started with a powerful seismic swarm at 9pm on Monday, resulting in an eruption at 10.17pm, had now decreased. Picture/Marco Di Marco/AP

Icelandic police have warned tourists to “think four times” before attempting to get close to the site of a spectacular volcanic eruption, after they had to rescue an exhausted hiker by helicopter.

Within hours of Monday night’s eruption, which followed weeks of earthquake activity, the site near the southwestern town of Grindavík had become an attraction for inquisitive volcano enthusiasts.