► Have you subscribed to 5 News?: http://bit.ly/5NewsSub

► Steam and lava spurted from a new fissure at the Icelandic volcano that began erupting last month, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of hikers who had come to see the spectacle.

The new fissure, first spotted by a sightseeing helicopter, was about 500 meters (550 yards) long and about a kilometer (around a half-mile) from the original Fagradalsfjall eruption site in the Geldinga Valley.

The Icelandic Department of Emergency Management announced an immediate evacuation of the area.

It said there was no imminent danger to life due to the site’s distance from popular hiking paths.

Live footage from the area showed small spouts of lava coming from the new fissure.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office said the new volcanic activity wasn't expected to affect traffic at nearby Keflavik Airport.

The long-dormant volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland flared to life on March 20 after tens of thousands of earthquakes were recorded in the area in the past three weeks.

It was the area’s first volcanic eruption in nearly 800 years.

The volcano’s proximity to Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík, about 32 kilometers (20 miles) away, has brought a steady stream of tourists to the area, even with the country in partial lockdown to combat the coronavirus.

Around 30,000 people have visited the area since the eruption began, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.

- Associated Press

► Bjorn Steinbekk interview: Photographer who flew a drone into Icelandic volcano - https://youtu.be/dFUa8yAnD6s

► #5News #News #Fagradalsfjall

► Follow 5 News:

Contact us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/5NewsFB

Get in touch on Twitter: http://bit.ly/5NewsTwitter

See the latest on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3qzKnPZ

► About 5 News: Welcome to the Channel 5 News Youtube channel where we post a daily playlist every weekday with the biggest stories of the day.

From the British Royal Family to Britain's exit of the European Union, the 5 News channel covers important international and national news events in short 2-3 minute explainers to 30-minute specials and podcasts.

Subscribe to the channel here to stay up to date - http://bit.ly/5NewsSub

Our flagship programme at 5pm is watched on Channel 5 by up to a million viewers, with a later bulletin broadcast at 6.30pm and regular news updates throughout the day.

ITN changed the TV news landscape when it launched 5 News in 1997, producing Five News for nine years before winning the contract to supply news to Channel 5 again from 2012.