French authorities have warned of a potentially imminent volcanic eruption on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, prompting officials to raise the alert level for the Piton de la Fournaise volcano to Level One under the ORSEC volcanic emergency plan.
According to Spain’s La Vanguardia newspaper, French authorities have fully closed access to the volcano’s crater after detecting a series of earthquakes, describing the situation as indicative of a possible or imminent eruption.
The Réunion Volcanological Observatory reported that seismic activity persisted for several hours and was accompanied by sudden, low-intensity ground deformation in the summit area.
Civil protection services said these signs point to rapid changes within the volcano’s internal structure.
Experts classified the activity as a deep magmatic intrusion, resulting from magma being injected from a shallow reservoir located between 1.5 and 2 kilometers beneath the crater, without reaching the surface.
Although the intensity of the tremors later decreased, continued seismic activity indicates sustained pressure inside the volcanic reservoir.
The closure includes the entire volcanic enclosure, locally known as “L’Enclos,” with entry prohibited until further notice.
This measure is part of the first alert level of the ORSEC plan, which is activated when there are indications of a potential eruption in the near term.
On the night of January 1, the observatory recorded 37 volcanic-tectonic earthquakes near the summit, along with ground swelling that signals increased surface pressure.
Gas measurements showed sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide levels remaining close to detection thresholds, with no clear or sustained rises so far.
The observatory confirmed that stronger tremors had ceased by the morning without any magma reaching the surface.
However, it warned that continued minor earthquakes and persistent pressure within the reservoir require close and continuous monitoring in the coming hours.
Piton de la Fournaise is considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world, erupting on average once every eight months.
Its last confirmed eruption occurred between July 2 and August 10, 2023.
Under the ORSEC plan, the first alert level typically involves closing the crater area and urging residents and visitors to rely solely on official updates, without disrupting daily life across the rest of the island.
Authorities and volcanologists continue to assess the situation using real-time data, with no eruption confirmed so far.
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