Watch: Helicopter flies over erupting Iceland volcano as lava flows from fissures

An Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter flew over the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano as lava flowed from fissures, footage posted on Tuesday (19 December) shows.

The eruption began on Monday a few kilometres from Grindavik, whose nearly 4,000 inhabitants were evacuated last month.

A crew flew over the Sundhnúka crater range on Monday with scientists from the Civil Defense, the Meteorological Office, and the University of Iceland to assess the extent of the eruption, the coast guard said.

According to a government statement, the eruption does not present a threat to life.