Video. Tourists in Iceland rush for lava show as Grindavik remains untouched

This marks the sixth eruption in the area since December of last year. Lava spewed from a 4-kilometre fissure, but the nearby town of Grindavík remains safe, with evacuations in place.

Despite stormy weather blowing smoke and gas over the area, visitors flocked to nearby vantage points, turning the natural disaster into a tourist attraction. Mahnoor Ali from the US described the experience as "the coolest thing I’ve seen in my whole life."

The eruption is not expected to disrupt air travel.