A volcano in southwestern Iceland that has erupted repeatedly for more than a year again belched lava and smoke into the air, just hours after authorities evacuated the few remaining residents of a nearby fishing village.

A volcanic eruption in southwest Iceland on Tuesday forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavík and the nearby Blue Lagoon tourist site, as lava and smoke poured from a newly opened fissure.

Tourists and residents have been evacuated as a volcano erupted in south-west Iceland, threatening a town and popular attraction. The volcano has been spewing lava and smoke in a fiery display of orange and red since the eruption began in the morning, creating a huge crack in the ground which has grown to 1.2km (0.75 miles) long.