REYKJAVIK, Iceland, April 15 (UPI) -- Thousands of flights across northwestern Europe were canceled Thursday because of ash spewed into the sky by a volcano in Iceland, officials said.
The Guardian reported northwesterly winds were blowing the 8-mile-high ash plume across the continent, forcing the creation of a huge no-fly zone that affected an estimated 4,000 flights and likely is to remain in place into the weekend. More than a million air travelers could be affected, the British newspaper said.
It's the biggest interruption of international air travel since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on U.S. soil, the British newspaper said.
"We certainly do not think we have over-reacted," a National Air Traffic Service spokesman said. "Safety is our main priority and volcanic ash is a serious threat to aircraft."
U.S. air carrier Delta Air Lines said it was waiving travel schedule change fees for customers whose flights are affected by the volcanic activity from Thursday through Sunday.
The Iceland Review said on its Web site there was serious flooding along the Markarfljot River, with the Icelandic broadcasting service RUV reporting the river was filled with icebergs the size of cars because the volcanic eruption had melted the Eyjafjallajokull glacier. It said the Civil Protection Department had expressed concern levees won't hold and had ordered an emergency evacuation in the Fljotshlíd and Landeyjar districts in south Iceland.
The Review said there had been some damage but no injuries reported as the evacuations were being carried out without incident.
The Review reported farmers who had to evacuate their farms said they were more concerned about a potential eruption of the neighboring volcano Katla than they are about Eyjafjallajokull.
"I am not afraid of this eruption but I fear Katla," Agnar Mar Agnarsson said. "It might not happen immediately but it will happen. Then we will be talking about much more power."
