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Residents desperate to return amid volcanic activity in Icelandic town
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Seismic activity has left homes broken and askew in Grindavik, a small Icelandic town of about 4,000 people, to which some residents are desperate but unable to return as the threat of volcanic eruption remains imminent.
It has been two weeks since the town was fully evacuated due to the dangers of cracking asphalt and rising steam from within. Though residents are still unable to re-inhabit their homes, they were able to return to gather their belongings after the Icelandic government downgraded the public safety level in the town from emergency to danger on Thursday morning.
Most of the evacuees are now staying with relatives and friends, but many of the 300 who returned on Thursday said that their homes were no longer fit to live in, even if the volcanic threat were to subside.
"The house is completely broken almost, it's all slanted. If you open the cupboard, it just closes back," said an evacuee.
Civil protection authorities said they will carry out daily assessments to decide whether to allow their return, but the uncertainty has been excruciating for many who have settled in the town.
"And this is horrible for me because, I don't know how can I say, it is more than too much for me. I have a home here, and I'm not sure what can I do next," said another evacuee.
The heating system and the power supply are still on in case the displaced will return in the future.
"We have Keep Cool (anti-freeze) mixture so that they will not get frozen on the radiators in the house. But now we have hot water coming into the house and everything is okay," said a rescuer.
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Copyright © 2023 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466