Tourists are injured near an Icelandic volcanic eruption

The injuries were not serious, but they underscored the risks faced by tourists traveling to the Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwestern Iceland, officials said.

VideoThree tourists were injured while they were crossing the rugged terrain to see the Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwest Iceland.CreditCredit...Marco Di Marco/Associated Press fountains of glowing lava, a spokeswoman for Iceland's civil protection agency said.

The injuries, including a broken ankle, weren't a big deal, but they did point out the risks tourists face if they try ent to walk to lava flowing from the Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwest Iceland, spokeswoman Hjordis Gudmundsdottir said in an interview on Thursday.

"We tell people that while we know it's spectacular and there's nothing like it, we have to be careful and we have to be prepared before we go," Ms. Gudmundsdottir.

The hike to and from the area, she said, takes about five hours and, since the volcano erupted last year, can involve crossing still fragile and hot lava below the surface. Officials also warned of sudden gaseous pollution near the site of the eruption.

"We are trying to tell people that this is not just a walk in the park," Ms Gudmundsdottir said. “People have to be careful and well dressed and well-shod. We try to tell both Icelanders and our foreign friends.

The tourist with a broken ankle was airlifted to hospital, Ms Gudmundsdottir said. The other two were helped down from the volcano in vehicles, she said.

Ms. Gudmundsdottir said she expects more tourists to arrive in the coming days, especially after dark when fiery lava breaks off the Icelandic night sky.

"We don't know how many people have been there, but we know it's a lot, and we know the next few days will be more," she said. "We know that we can't say, 'Stay away.' We don't lock the place down."

Lava started flowing from a fissure in the ground around Fagradalsfjall near the town of Grindavik on the peninsula on Wednesday. of Reykjanes, the Icelandic government said in a statement. The eruption occurred after intense seismic activity over the past few days, according to the statement. said the eruption was considered "relatively low" and the risk to populated areas and critical infrastructure was low. Fissure eruptions do not typically result in large explosions or significant columns of flying ash in the stratosphere, according to the statement.

But the government said it was still advising people not to visit the site. The eruption site "is a dangerous area and conditions can change quickly," Departure said on Thursday. ment of civil protection and emergency management in a press release.

He warned that toxic gases can accumulate when the wind decreases, that new fountains of lava can open with little...