Iceland declared a state of emergency on Friday after a series of powerful earthquakes rocked the country’s southwestern Reykjanes peninsula, in what could be a precursor to a volcanic eruption.

“The National police chief … declares a state of emergency for civil defence due to the intense earthquake (activity) at Sundhnjukagigar, north of Grindavik,” the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management said in a statement.

“Earthquakes can become larger than those that have occurred and this series of events could lead to an eruption,” the administration warned.

The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) said an eruption could take place “in several days”.

The village of Grindavik, home to around 4,000 people, is located some three kilometres (1.86 miles) southwest of the area where Friday’s earthquake swarm was registered.

It has evacuation plans in place in case of an eruption.

Around 1730 GMT, two strong earthquakes were felt as far away as the capital Reykjavik some 40 kilometres away, and along much of the country’s southern coast, rattling windows and household objects.

According to preliminary IMO figures, the biggest tremor had a magnitude of 5.2, north of Grindavik.

Police closed a road running north-south to Grindavik on Friday after it was damaged by the tremors.

Some 24,000 tremors have been registered on the peninsula since late October, according to the IMO, with “a dense swarm” of nearly 800 quakes registered between midnight and 1400 GMT Friday.

The IMO noted an accumulation of magma underground at a depth of about five kilometres (3.1 miles). Should it start moving towards the surface it could lead to a volcanic eruption.

“The most likely scenario is that it will take several days rather than hours for magma to reach the surface,” it said.

“If a fissure were to appear where the seismic activity is at its highest now, lava would flow to the southeast and to the west, but not towards Grindavik.”

New active era

Nonetheless, the Department of Civil Protection said it was sending the patrol vessel Thor to Grindavik “for security purposes”.

Emergency shelters and help centres were to open in Grindavik later Friday, as well as three other locations in southern Iceland, for information purposes and to assist people on the move.

On Thursday, the Blue Lagoon, a popular tourist destination located near Grindavik famed for its geothermal spas and luxury hotels, closed as a precaution following another earthquake swarm.

Also nearby is the Svartsengi geothermal plant, the main supplier of electricity and water to 30,000 residents on the Reykjanes peninsula.

It has contingency plans in place to protect the plant and its workers in the event of an eruption.

Since 2021, three eruptions have taken place on the Reykjanes peninsula, in March 2021, August 2022 and July 2023.

Those three were located far from any infrastructure or populated areas.

Iceland has 33 active volcanic systems, the highest number in Europe.

The North Atlantic island straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

Prior to the March 2021 eruption in an uninhabited area around Mount Fagradalsfjall, the Reykjanes volcanic system had remained dormant for eight centuries.

Volcanologists believe the new cycle of increased activity could last for several decades or centuries.

An April 2010 massive eruption at another Iceland volcano, the Eyjafjallajokull in the south of the island, forced the cancellation of some 100,000 flights, leaving more than 10 million travellers stranded.

In a recent episode of ‘The Ranveer Show,’ cricketer Yuvraj Singh spilt the beans on his favourite foods, and the revelation has taken the internet by storm, albeit for unexpected reasons. Known for his cricketing prowess and being a key player in the Indian cricket team, Yuvraj Singh took a detour into his culinary preferences during a candid chat with podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as BeerBiceps. The Ranveer Show is famous for its candid and sometimes unconventional discussions with high-profile guests, ranging from Bollywood actors to cricketers. Yuvraj Singh joined the list of guests, and snippets from their conversation are making waves on social media. 

Also Read: Viral Video Of Shehnaaz Gill Enjoying Local Food While Holidaying In The Hills Wins Over Fans

In a short clip from the podcast, Yuvraj Singh shared his food preferences. When asked if he liked eating food, Yuvraj Singh revealed that he is a foodie. Then the host asked about his favourite meals, and he shared it is kadhi chawal and rajma chawal. Then Ranveer Allahbadia asked which one was his favourite out of the two. To this, Yuvraj Singh replied promptly “kadhi chawal.’ But this is not the first time the revelation was made publicly.  Ranveer Allahbadia recounted another show where Yuvraj Singh’s mother also revealed that kadhi chawal was his son’s favourite meal.  

Also Read: Sanya Malhotra Declares Her “Only True Love”, And It’s A Dish! Any Guesses?

While Yurvraj Singh’s food revelations were fascinating, the video made heads turn for another reason too. The viewers found the interaction amusing and compared Ranveer Allahbadia to an FBI agent engaged in casual banter before interrogating a serial killer. The video was posted on X by user @GabbarSingh who wrote the caption, “This looks like an FBI agent doing some small talk before interrogating a serial killer.” 

This looks like a FBI agent doing some small talk before interrogating a serial killer. pic.twitter.com/Hy4NaWZJtC

— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) November 8, 2023

The video was originally posted on X handle @paarugsethi with the caption “I might be biased against beer biceps but what kind of a podcast interview is this?” This post went viral with over 2 million views.  

I might be biased against beer biceps but what kind of a podcast interview is this? pic.twitter.com/yUjoGXOdqH

— Paarug Sethi (@paarugsethi) November 8, 2023

The lighthearted comments flooded social media, with many expressing their amusement about the way the interviewer posed questions to Yuvraj Singh. Fans were quick to share their thoughts, speculating on Yuvraj Singh’s likely reaction to the podcast host’s unique interviewing style. 

One social media user humorously suggested, “I believe Yuvi paaji is thinking, ‘What is this guy doing – but food is important. Let’s focus on that.” 

While Yuvraj Singh’s revelations about his favourite foods might not have been the central theme of the podcast, the unexpected turn in the conversation has certainly added a dose of humour to the episode.  

Eric Garcetti, US Ambassador to India, impressed everyone at the US embassy in New Delhi with his Bollywood dance skills on Friday. Mr Garcetti danced to the hit song ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ during a Diwali celebration event at the embassy.

The original song, which came out in 1998, featured Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora grooving on a train. Mr Garcetti took the stage in a blue kurta and a pair of shades as the audience clapped and cheered.

The video was shared and applauded by several users on X (formerly Twitter).

“I applaud the jovial spirit of US Ambassador to India, Mr Eric Garcetti, for showing delightful interest in Diwali celebrations. Let there be light and happiness in the relationship of US and India like this forever!” said Satnam Singh Sandhu, the founder chancellor of Chandigarh University.

I applaud the jovial spirit of US Ambassador to India, Mr. @ericgarcetti, for showing delightful interest in Diwali celebrations. Let there be light and happiness in the relationship of US and India like this forever!@USAmbIndia pic.twitter.com/8COlQ5EGlQ

— Satnam Singh Sandhu (@satnamsandhuchd) November 10, 2023

Since being appointed in May, Mr Garcetti has wholeheartedly soaked in the Indian traditions and recently celebrated Durga Puja at Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park with enthusiasm and vigour. He visited a pandal at CR Park and enjoyed traditional Bengali delicacies. The US diplomat also performed Dhunuchi Naach, which is referred to as a dance dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Earlier this week, Mr Garcetti paid a surprise visit to the US visa centre in Delhi to interact with applicants. His visit came at a time when waiting periods for a US visa appointment are as high as 511 days.

To address the surging demand for US visas, the United States has made substantial investments in its operations in India. The US Mission has expanded its workforce to streamline visa processing, upgraded facilities at the US Consulate in Chennai, and inaugurated a new Consulate building in Hyderabad.

Last year, over 1.2 million Indians visited the US, solidifying this as one of the world’s most substantial travel relationships. Indians now account for over 10% of all visa applicants worldwide, with 20% seeking student visas and 65% applying for H&L-category employment visas.