Horrifying drone footage shows scorching lava from Iceland's volcanic eruption engulfing homes as it surrounds the fishing village of Grindavík.
The eruption began just before 8am local time on Sunday. Around midday, a second fissure over 3,000ft wide and growing split open.
The molten rock streamed towards homes in the northernmost tip of the village, which sits around 25 miles from county's capital, Reykjavík.
It breached barriers of earth and rock meant to prevent the magma from reaching Grindavík, where several buildings were set ablaze.
'According to the first images from the Coast Guard's surveillance flight, a crack has opened on both sides of the defenses that have begun to be built north of Grindavík,' the Icelandic Meteorological Office said in a statement.
The lava flows prompted an evacuation for the second time and rendered the fate of farm animals uncertain.
Video taken from an Icelandic Coastguard helicopter shows huge pools of molten rock and a wall of flames rising into the night sky.
Víðir Reynisson, chief supervisor of the Office of the National Commissioner of the Police, told local media that 'no one is going into Grindavíkuntil we are absolutely sure that it will be OK.'
Flights to and from the country were not affected as of Sunday, and Iceland Air confirmed that the operations of Keflavík Airport were not impacted.
But devastating lava flows razed at least three homes in Grindavík, according to local media, with the potential for more destruction looming ahead.
Lovísa Mjöll Guðmundsdóttir, a natural disaster expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said: 'It cannot be ruled out that more cracks will open.
'The GPS data showed us that there is increased magma inflow into the tunnel and with that there is a possibility of more fissures opening up.'
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