Iceland Volcano Eruption Brings UK Bound Air Traffic To A Screeching Halt

April 15th, 2010 - 6:27 pm ICT by GD  

By Ranjan Bhaduri
Volcano EruptionIceland, Apr 15, (THAINDIAN NEWS) In Iceland, a volcano erupted under a glacier, resulting in raising floodwater and huge smoke cloud. Hundreds of people living near the place left their homes fearing disaster. The main coastal rig road of Iceland has been closed since the eruption began. Last month another eruption took place but the second one appears to be more powerful than its predecessor. The experts have predicted that the eruption is more violent in nature since the lava is interacting with water and ice. Such an eruption becomes more explosive in nature. The emergency workers rescued some tourist who got trapped near the volcano. However, flooding is not the only problem caused by the volcanic eruption. The huge amounts of smoke emitted by the volcano have brought the air traffic in large part of Europe to a standstill.

The Volcano is located beneath the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier which is about 120 km away from Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. The airports in UK and Scotland have nearly suspended their operations and hundreds of flights have been canceled. It is unclear when these airports including Gatwick and Heathrow can resume their regular operations. Flying aircrafts amidst such air debris can affect the engines of the aircrafts badly and drastically cuts down the visibility.

The flights in Oslo, the main airport in Norway were suspended on Thursday and the UK bound flights from various Asian countries have been canceled as well. The Intercontinental flights had to change their routes, resulting in delays in arrival and departure time. The airlines have asked the fliers to check their websites for updates on flights.

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