Authorities in Iceland have evacuated about 500 people living near a volcano that unexpectedly erupted late Saturday night local time. No injuries or property damage have been reported.

The volcano began to spew smoke and lava from several craters alongside the country's fifth largest glacier, Eyjafjallajoekull, which is located about 120 kilometers east of the capital Reykjavik. Authorities initially thought the eruption started underneath the glacier, which had raised fears about flooding caused by melting ice. But scientists who were able to visit the area at daylight disproved this.

International flights passing over the island were diverted due to concerns about reduced visibility from smoke and ash. Other flights due to take off or land in Iceland were canceled until Monday.

The Eyjafjallajoekull volcano had been dormant since 1821.

"There was little increased seismic activity prior to the eruption but we did note a few tremors around 2 on the Richter scale - not enough to tell us that an eruption was about to start," geophysicist Steinunn Jakobsdotter told local media.

svs/AP/Reuters/dpa
Editor: Andreas Illmer