TUESDAY OCTOBER 8 1996




Civil defence declares state of emergency as flood looms


Civil defence chiefs yesterday declared a state of emergency over the Skeidarársandur area of south Iceland, expected to be swamped at any moment by a deluge of glacial meltwater from the Vatnajökull volcanic eruption. If the water which has been collecting in a basin-like depression under the glacier does not escape today, authorities will close all roads into and out of the area by 8 o'clock this evening. Roads have been closed at 11 o'clock in recent days.

Arrangements have also been made to ban all off-road traffic once the flood starts, and to dispatch helicopters to scour the surrounding countryside for stranded motorists.

Bad weather over the weekend prevented scientists from geting an accurate reading of the waterlevel in the Grímsvötn subglacial basin. It has, however, been estimated that the waterlevel already exceeds that which normally sparks flooding from the Vatnajökull glacier.