Grindavik residents pack up before potential volcanic eruption

An Icelandic town home to some 4,000 people near the capital Reykjavik could be heavily damaged by a volcano expected to erupt within hours or days, experts said on Saturday.

The town of Grindavik on the southwestern coast was evacuated in the early hours of Saturday after magma shifting under the Earth's crust caused hundreds of earthquakes in what was believed to be a precursor to an eruption.

Emergency shelters and help centers have opened in several nearby towns, but most Grindavik residents were staying with friends or relatives, media reported.