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Icelandic volcano erupts river of lava

Thousands of Icelanders have flocked to the site of the eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, some 19 miles southwest of the capital, hoping to be awed by the rare lava fountains and even to cook a meal on the scorching crust of magma.

To cope with the hoard of visitors, authorities in Iceland set up a 2.2 miles hiking trail to the eruption site and are patrolling the area to prevent onlookers from venturing into hazardous areas polluted by volcanic gasses.

Volcanologists have no idea how long the eruption, which began on March 19, will continue, saying it could stop soon or continue for years, possibly even decades.