The riots that broke out across Dublin city centre on Thursday evening appear to have begun as a heated demonstration at the scene of a tragic incident that took place earlier in the day, Irish police have said. Three young children and an adult woman and man were all injured in a knife attack outside the Irish-medium primary school Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire on Parnell Square East at approximately 1.30pm on Thursday lunchtime, an incident that immediately made headlines. Two girls hurt in the attack are currently receiving treatment for serious injuries while a five-year-old boy has already been discharged from hospital. Both adults remain in care and are being treated for serious wounds. Eyewitness Siobhan Kearney told the broadcaster RTE: “I looked across the road and I see the man and the stabbing motion with a load of children so I flew across the road. “The man was after stabbing two children as far as I could make out, and we got the children up to the left with the women that were there, and the teachers I presume. “People were trying to attack the man so me and an American lady, we formed a ring around the man, and then about three minutes later the ambulance came for the children and then another ambulance and fire officers came for the man on the ground.” Caio Benicio, a Brazil-born Deliveroo driver, said that he leapt from his moped and knocked the knifeman to the ground with his helmet as part of the public effort to stop him. A police source told The Irish Daily Mail: “We have to say fair play to those people who stepped in. They gave that man a good hiding to make sure he wasn't going to get up and hurt more people, but I can tell you now that they saved lives.” Police have since said they believe the incident itself was a “standalone” attack and is not terror-related. A man in his 50s has been arrested and named a “person of interest” in the investigation and the scene remains cordoned off as of Friday morning. In the immediate aftermath of the stabbings, a spontaneous demonstration formed at the edge of the police cordon over the course of Thursday afternoon and escalated as the evening progressed. A crowd of between 100 and 200 people, some of whom wore scarves and hoodies to cover their faces, confronted gardai verbally before violent clashes erupted with riot police. The mob’s number would ultimately grow to around 500, according to later estimates. Tricolours and an “Irish lives matter” sign were held by some who were present. Fireworks and flares were soon thrown at police and, just before 7pm, a Garda car was seen alight near the scene. Two more police cars sustained fire damage during the episode and another eight were extensively vandalised by the rioters, some of whose actions was captured on mobile phone footage that was swiftly spread across social media. People were seen picking up furniture from nearby shops and smashing it to the ground, some of whom appeared to be minors. Several small pushes were made by riot police down O’Connell Street and away from the scene, which appeared to temporarily scatter those gathered, only for them to reform and confront police again. Some onlookers sheltered in a hotel lobby until the garda effort had moved down towards O’Connell Bridge, where a car and a bus were also set alight. An empty Luas tram that had been left at a stop nearby had its windows smashed and was set on fire. Dublin Fire Brigade tackled the flames that had engulfed the Luas, as well as nearby buses, once they reached the scene. Rioters were also seen on nearby Henry Street, a major shopping thoroughfare, looting a Footlocker shoe store. People threw bottles at gardai on the famous street, while others carried metal bars and smashed shop windows. Smoke from bus and car fires filled the air while a Garda helicopter monitored the situation overhead. As of Friday morning, 32 people have been charged over Thursday night’s violence, which required 400 police officers and a further 250 public order officers to contain, according to the authorities. The affair has been condemned by the Irish justice minister Helen McEntee and the Garda commissioner Drew Harris. Ms McEntee pledged that the scenes of disorder “will not be tolerated” and said: “A thuggish and manipulative element must not be allowed use an appalling tragedy to wreak havoc.” Mr Harris described the clashes with police officers and the criminal damage as “disgraceful” and blamed a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology” for Thursday’s chaos. He also urged the public to “act responsibly and not to listen to the misinformation and rumour that is circulating on social media”. Also condemning the participants was Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who said on Friday: “Those involved brought shame on Dublin, brought shame on Ireland and brought shame on their families and themselves. These criminals did not do what they did because they love Ireland. “They did not do what they did because they wanted to protect Irish people. They did not do it out of any sense of patriotism, however warped. They did so because they’re filled with hate, they love violence, they love chaos and they love causing pain to others.” Local residents have meanwhile been advised to work from home on Friday as the investigation into the disorder and a major cleanup operation continues. Read More Hamas to release more hostages as thousands set for Gaza ceasefire march NHS doctor says family’s situation in Gaza has worsened despite ceasefire Labour set to further water down £28bn green plans – reports Tech firm Palantir rejects concerns over role in NHS data platform plans Police appeal over ‘wanted man’ who killed motorcyclist in 2016 crash Autistic boy obsessed with John Lewis Christmas ad thanks retailer for gifts

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Police in Ireland are trawling through 6,000 hours of CCTV footage as a major investigation into riots in Dublin’s city centre continues. The violence in the Irish capital on Thursday – which involved far-right elements and saw Garda cars, buses and trams set alight and shops looted and damaged – flared after a knife attack on three children and their care assistant outside a school in the north inner city. There were a small number of arrests on Friday evening as gardai mounted a significant security operation around the O’Connell Street thoroughfare to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes from the night before. Amid criticism of the Garda response to the riots, government ministers met and heard that legislation to facilitate the use of body-worn cameras by police officers will be fast-tracked. Justice minister Helen McEntee also told colleagues that officers are trawling 6,000 hours of CCTV footage and vowed that further arrests would follow the 34 already made. She also insisted that the police force has all the resources necessary to keep people in Dublin safe over the weekend, including securing the use of two water cannons from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Ms McEntee also rejected a call from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald for her and Garda commissioner Drew Harris to resign. She said: “If Sinn Fein wish to debate law and order, if Sinn Fein wish to debate how we can support the gardai, I have no problem in standing over Fine Gael’s record of law and order, Fine Gael’s record of supporting members of An Garda Siochana. “I do not believe Sinn Fein can stand over their record.” Ms McDonald said there had been “an unacceptable, unprecedented collapse in policing” and that a problem leading to Thursday’s riot had been “building for months”. Damage to public infrastructure in Dublin from the disorder could cost tens of millions of euros to repair, Irish premier Leo Varadkar said. He added that the knife attack and the violence which followed had brought “shame on Ireland”. A five-year-old girl injured in the knife attack outside a school remained in a critical condition in hospital on Friday while the female care assistant, in her 30s, was in a serious condition. The two other children, a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, suffered less serious injuries. That girl remained in hospital on Friday but the boy has been discharged. Gardai said a man who sustained serious injuries at the scene is a person of interest in their investigation. Politicians and police have hailed as heroes members of the public who intervened to halt the attacker at the scene on Parnell Square East, including a Brazilian Deliveroo driver. Read More Labour has to be ‘diverse’ to form successful government says Rayner Helpline for the elderly is more important than ever, Dame Esther Rantzen says What the papers say – November 25 Geologist dons trainers for final marathon of 30 before 30 challenge Sharp cut in fuel prices after retailers given ‘good prod’ by regulator, AA says Rwanda plan ‘not the be all and end all’, says James Cleverly

A five-year-old girl who was among three children injured in a knife attack in Dublin was fighting for her life on Friday, as the spotlight fell on far-right groups in Ireland following a night of riots in the Irish capital. Police were preparing for a potential second night of disturbances after about 500 far-right sympathisers and apparently angry youths on Thursday went on the rampage, causing damage that could cost tens of millions of euros to repair, according to Irish premier Leo Varadkar. A care assistant was also in a serious condition in hospital after the attack outside a primary school, which some blamed on an immigrant – reports that sparked violence, looting and thuggery. Around a dozen Garda (police) cars were torched, buses and trams were set alight and shops looted and windows smashed. As Dubliners were coming to terms with the violence, police came under fire for how prepared they were. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris blamed the rioting on a “lunatic, hooligan faction driven by a far-right ideology”. Mr Harris, who said some of the 400 officers involved had been injured, one seriously, denied the disturbances were “a failure of personnel”. Asked about his force’s preparedness, he added: “We could not have anticipated that this would have been the reaction.” However, two PSNI water cannons were sent from Northern Ireland to Dublin on Friday to help with policing any further trouble at the weekend. Irish justice minister Helen McEntee said 34 people had been arrested, 32 of whom appeared in court on Friday, and that there would be further arrests. They faced charges relating to the misuse of drugs, theft and public order. But the leader of the main opposition party, Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald, called on Mr Harris and Ms McEntee to resign, saying gardai lost control of the city to a “mob fuelled by hate”. The violence flared after the attack on schoolchildren and their care assistant outside Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire school at lunchtime on Thursday. A six-year-old girl also injured remained in hospital on Friday, but a five-year-old boy who was wounded was discharged. Mr Varadkar said it was important to back the police force, and Ms McEntee refused to resign, insisting Garda had all the resources necessary to keep people safe in Dublin over the weekend. Gardai were trawling through social media and CCTV footage, she said. And she described a “very volatile situation”, adding: “I have no doubt that many people will be imprisoned after those horrific events yesterday. “What happened yesterday evening following this awful, tragic act was nothing but thuggery. “This was a group of individuals who used this horrendous event as an opportunity to wreak havoc in our city, to sew division in our city, they will be responded to with force and gardai responded in the most appropriate way.” The clean-up was continuing on Dublin’s thoroughfare O’Connell Street on Friday, with burned-out buses lifted away by cranes while broken glass and missiles were cleared. Gardai made several arrests in Dublin city centre amid a significant security operation in the area. Politicians and police hailed as heroes by-standers who intervened to halt the attacker, including a Brazilian Deliveroo driver. Caio Benicio said he saw the man grab a girl and attack her. He said: “When I saw the knife, I stopped my bike and I just acted by instinct.” He said he took his helmet off and hit the man in the head with it “with all of my power”. “Later on I found out (the woman) was the teacher. She was very, very brave.” Gardai said a man seriously injured at the scene was a person of interest in their investigation. Ms McDonald said she had no confidence in Ms McEntee or Mr Harris, that there had been an “unacceptable, unprecedented collapse in policing” and that a problem had been “building for months”. “I do not say the following lightly, but it must be said. I have no confidence in how Dublin is being policed,” she said. “This shouldn’t have happened and – let me be very clear – it can never happen again.” However, Mr Varadkar said the rioters “brought shame on Dublin, brought shame on Ireland and brought shame on their families and themselves”. “These criminals did not do what they did because they love Ireland. They did not do what they did because they wanted to protect Irish people. They did not do it out of any sense of patriotism, however warped. “They did so because they’re filled with hate, they love violence, they love chaos and they love causing pain to others.” Ireland does not have a track record of strong far-right support. Various factors led to Thursday’s violence, according to Kevin Doyle, head of news at the Irish Independent – with a homelessness crisis and a steady growth in numbers of migrants helping to feed a growing far-right narrative that “Ireland is full”. “A group of people that arrived at the scene of the attack were chanting things like ‘get them out’,” he told The Independent. “At one point they broke through the Garda cordon. The people supposedly outraged about the attack actually impeded the investigation.” Mr Doyle added: “People are worried about it [far-right support] now. It’s definitely a minority but it’s a minority that has caused millions of damage. Tensions are high.” The unrest follows two high-profile crimes that rocked Ireland – Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee, who were found murdered in their homes in Sligo, and schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, who was stabbed while out jogging in Tullamore, Co Offaly. Last week her killer, Jozef Puska, 33, a Slovakian, was jailed for life. In his victim impact statement, Ms Murphy’s devastated partner Ryan Casey alluded to some of the tensions facing Irish society as he pointed out her unemployed killer had benefited from social housing and welfare for 10 years. “I feel like this country is no longer the country that Ashling and I grew up in and has officially lost its innocence when a crime of this magnitude can be perpetrated in broad daylight,” he said. Earlier this year, a Travelodge in north Dublin housing asylum-seekers became the focus of right-wing protests. In September, crowds of far-right supporters protested outside Dublin’s parliament building. Wendy Via, president of the Global Project Against Hate & Extremism, said the country was part of a global trend in growing right-wing sentiment. “In Ireland, its largely anti-immigrant sentiment driving it,” she told The Independent, adding: “You have to keep your eye on the fringe.” “People claim this attacker is a certain race or ethnicity and it was driven by XYZ and it just spreads and it is very inflammatory. They will co-opt another issue to legitimise themselves and unfortunately sometimes you get what you got last night, which was arson, damage and injuries.” UK Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the scenes showed society needed “a proper debate" about “migration, immigration, what we need in skills and how we treat people and what pressures it brings to our domestic services”. Read More Boris Johnson claims anti-Brexit campaigners having ‘orgasm’ over migration figures Garda have ‘all resources necessary’ to keep people safe following Dublin riots Boris Johnson links Dublin ‘race riots’ to immigration fears Narrative of extremism must be challenged, Scottish First Minister says Irish government challenge to UK legacy laws would not derail relations – Gove Riot damage could cost tens of millions of euros, Leo Varadkar says

President Joe Biden praised the first release of hostages by Hamas and said the US expects more captives

A Russian singer entertaining soldiers in occupied Ukraine has been killed after a missile hit the concert hall in which she was performing, local reports have confirmed. Polina Menshikh was performing at a dancehall in the town of Kumachove, Donetsk Oblast, roughly 37 miles from the frontline when two missiles allegedly struck the area on 19 November. The first missile hit the car park outside and the second struck the hall, according to Russian commentators on Telegram. A video circling among Russian military blogger channels appears to show the moment the first missile hits the car park while Ms Menshikh was singing inside. A few seconds later, the screen then goes black before abruptly cutting out. Ms Menshikh later died in hospital of her injuries. She had been performing for the Russian soldiers to mark Artilleryman's Day. A Ukrainian army spokesperson has confirmed media reporting of the incident. At least 20 Russian soldiers also died as a result of the strike, according to other Ukrainian channels. The attack has caused considerable frustration among the Russian milblogger community on Telegram. Mikhail Zvinchuk, author of the ‘Rybar’ channel on Telegram, one of the most followed war bloggers on the social media site, described the incident as the result of “stupid” local commanders. “The tragedy of the situation lies in the fact that the fighters who were in the recreation centre most likely themselves understood perfectly well how large gatherings of people in a combat zone would end,” he wrote. “And they clearly put their knowledge into practice on the front line, camouflaging positions and avoiding clusters in order to avoid falling under enemy attacks. “But in the end, all previous efforts went to waste because of one stupid decision to gather in a huge crowd in a conspicuous place. “And its price, among other things, was the death of a female singer who, unlike the others, had no combat experience, and who entrusted her life to seemingly experienced people.” Alexander Garmaev, a Russian war journalist, claimed the strike had left many Russian soldiers feeling the need to shelter further away from the frontline when off-duty, which he called “pushing back the safe rear”. Portal, a theatre studio based in St Petersburg associated with Ms Menshikh, said a performance on 9 December will be dedicated to the singer. Read More Russia singer killed in occupied Ukraine after missile hits the concert hall Putin pardons two cannibals who joined Russia’s war in Ukraine – report Russia pauses attacks across Ukraine frontline amid losses in battle for Avdiivka Russia-Ukraine war live: China in ‘secret talks for underwater Crimea tunnel’ Sunak is under pressure to act as the UK's net migration figures for 2022 hit a record high Europe's far-right populists buoyed by Wilders' win in Netherlands, hoping the best is yet to come

Ukraine’s long-range precision strikes are inflicting mass casualties among Vladimir Putin’s forces “well behind the frontline”, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has claimed. The dire lack of rotation among frontline troops is leaving Russia’s commanders with “an acute dilemma” of whether to keep soldiers safely dispersed or gather them in groups to boost morale, the ministry claimed – pointing to two recent strikes which likely caused dozens of casualties in Russian-held territory. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military claimed to be inflicting major losses as Russia seeks to try and encircle the key strategic city of Avdiivka in the east, with Kyiv insisting its soldiers are “standing their ground” and “steadfastly holding the defence”. It came as the Washington Post reported that Ukraine’s security service had intercepted emails showing Chinese business executives were potentially open to helping Russia construct a vast underwater tunnel linking the mainland to annexed Crimea. While the project would likely take years to complete, retaining the annexed peninsula is a priority for Vladimir Putin, whose prized 11-mile bridge over the Kerch Strait is under sustained Ukrainian attacks. Read More Putin G20 speech: What Russian leader said in virtual address about Ukraine war ‘tragedy’ Ukraine says at least three dead in Russian airstrike on hospital Putin may start sourcing ballistic missiles from Iran, warns White House Finland erects barriers at border with Russia to control influx of migrants. The Kremlin objects

People in Dublin have been urged to work from home today after violent riots broke out across Ireland’s capital over a knife attack that left at least five people injured. Police said “significant levels” of public disorder and criminal damage were carried out with trams, buses, cars and other public properties set on fire during the clashes. Labelling them “disgraceful scenes”, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology” is behind disorder in the capital. This comes after an attack unfolded shortly after 1.30pm in Parnell Square East, near the Irish-medium primary school Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire, which left five people injured. The casualties include three young children, an adult female and an adult male. Two girls are receiving treatment for serious injuries, while a five-year-old boy has been discharged. Both adults remain in hospital after suffering serious wounds. Police believe the attack was a “standalone” incident and is not terror-related. The scene remains cordoned off, while a man in his 50s has been arrested and named as a “person of interest” in the investigation. Read More 34 arrests made after rioting in Dublin following school knife attack Dublin riots: Looted shops, blockaded roads and burning cars in night of violence Buses and trams burned in Dublin riots after children injured in knife attack

Vladimir Putin has reportedly pardoned two Russian men convicted of cannibalism after they deployed to the frontline in the war with Ukraine. One of the men, Denis Gorin, was recruited into a private military company after signing a contract with the Russian ministry of defence but is known to have been convicted thrice for murdering at least four people between 2003 and 2022. He was also convicted of eating the remains of his victims along with his brother, reported Sibir Realii, a news outlet aligned with Radio Free Europe. He is the 17th person convicted for murder to be pardoned by the Russian president between 2022 and 2023. “At the trial, he (Gorin) admitted that they ate the murdered man who was their acquaintance,” said his neighbour Dmitry Vladimirovich. Investigators found out that Gorin first killed his victim and then washed and refrigerated the remains. After his last conviction in 2018, Gorin was sentenced to 22 years in prison but was pardoned in 2023 by the Russian president. The neighbour added that Gorin was now free and admitted to a military hospital in the eastern Russian city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk due to a moderate injury. “He’s basically free, pardoned, and half his [prison] sentence has been wiped out. But I don’t think he’ll stay free for long. His victims’ relatives remember everything," the neighbour said, adding that he feared Gorin might start killing again. According to a new photo on Gorin’s social media profile on Odnoklassniki – a Russian platform – from a month ago, he is seen wearing a military uniform with the letter Z emblazoned on the sleeve, a pro-war symbol for conflicts in Ukraine and abroad widely used in Russia. Another man, Nikolai Ogolobyak, was convicted of ritual murders, according to the Russian media reports. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2019 for murdering four teenagers and then consuming their remains. The 33-year-old man was reportedly pardoned this week by the Russian president for fighting in the invasion of Ukraine. Russia has regularly released and pardoned hardened criminals convicted for rapes, murders and other serious crimes to replenish its military personnel reserves fighting in Ukraine. Prominent PMC Wagner also released hundreds of convicts who joined its military operations in eastern Ukraine. Read More Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin’s forces suffer major losses in the east, says Kyiv Hungary set to receive millions in EU money despite Orban's threats to veto Ukraine aid South Korea says Russian support likely enabled North Korea to successfully launch a spy satellite

Clashes have broken out in Dublin city centre between police and far-right protesters after five people, including three children were stabbed in an “appalling attack” on Thursday afternoon. The suspected knife attack happened outside a primary school in the bustling Parnell Square East on the north side of the Irish capital shortly after 1.30pm. A woman in her 30s and a man in his 50s remain in hospital with serious injuries while a five-year-old girl is receiving emergency medical treatment at a children’s hospital in Temple Street. Another girl, aged six, is being treated for less serious injuries, while a six-year-old boy has been discharged. At a press conference, police confirmed that a man in his 50s, who is receiving treatment at hospital, has been identified as a “person of interest”. They are currently not searching for anyone else and confirmed they are satisfied that the attack is not terror-related. On Thursday evening, riots broke out in the city centre with a number of Garda vehicles destroyed, while a tram and bus were set alight. Public transport was suspended while shop windows were smashed, with protesters blocking a bridge with construction signs. Describing the clashes as “disgraceful scenes”, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology” was behind the disorder. Appealing for calm, Irish justice minister Helen McEntee said: “The scenes we are witnessing this evening in our city centre cannot and will not be tolerated. “A thuggish and manipulative element must not be allowed use an appalling tragedy to wreak havoc.” The clashes broke out a few hours after the knife attack, which happened outside to an Irish-medium primary school, Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire. Labour Party senator Marie Sherlock saying that children had been queuing for after-school care at the time of the attack. A witness called Siobhan Kearney told Irish national broadcaster RTE that she saw a man attacking children with a “stabbing motion” before members of the public intervened and took a knife from him. Follow live updates on this breaking incident by clicking dublin-attack-parnell-square-latest-b2452500.html">here “I looked across the road and I see the man and the stabbing motion with a load of children so I flew across the road,” she said. “The man was after stabbing two children as far as I could make out, and we got the children up to the left with the women that were there, and the teachers I presume. “People were trying to attack the man so me and an American lady, we formed a ring around the man, and then about three minutes later the ambulance came for the children and then another ambulance and fire officers came for the man on the ground.” Ms McEntee described the attack as “appalling” and said her thoughts were with “the innocent children and the woman attacked”. She said: “I have been briefed by the Garda commissioner and will remain in close contact with him and senior gardaí. “This attack has shocked us all, and I have no doubt that the person responsible will be brought to justice. However, my thoughts now are with the innocent children and the woman who have been attacked, their families, and those who are caring for them at this time.” Leo Varadkar, the prime minister, said: “We are all shocked by the incident which has taken place in Parnell Square. A number of people have been injured, some of them children. Our thoughts and our prayers go out to them and their families.” Speaking at the scene, Sinn Fein party president Mary-Lou McDonald said children who witnessed what happened have been traumatised. She said: “I know that the gardai acted very swiftly in this matter, but this is certainly the last thing that any of us expected on a Thursday afternoon where children should come safely from school and be collected by their parents. “I pray the injured make a full recovery. The community is stunned, stunned and horrified.” Pictures and video from the scene shared on social media show a heavy presence of emergency services. A Garda spokesperson said: “Five casualties have been taken to various hospitals in the Dublin region. The casualties include an adult male, an adult female and three young children. “One child, a girl, has sustained serious injuries, the other two children are being treated for less serious injuries. “An Garda Siochana is in contact with parents of all three injured children.” Read More Dublin bus engulfed in flames as riots break out after attack in Parnell Square Calls for calm amid ‘disgraceful scenes’ after children injured in knife attack Three young children and woman injured in knife attack outside Dublin school Dublin: Police on scene after serious attack outside school in Parnell Square Three children and woman injured in ‘appalling attack’ in Dublin city centre Three children among five in hospital after ‘serious incident’ in Dublin

The evacuation zone in Iceland is “still dangerous”, a civil protection official has told The Independent, with current conditions leaving just a few minutes’ warning of a feared volcano eruption. A fortnight since Grindavik was evacuated, after magma-induced seismic activity tore vast chasms through the streets of the town, officials are expected to lower the threat level in the area on Thursday – enabling residents to return for longer periods to collect their valuables. Speaking to The Independent as international media were allowed back into the town for the first time, one civil defence official said: “It is still dangerous here ... I have never seen anything like it before. Usually we will have a few minutes warning to get out but with the weather like it is today we have even less.” In addition to fears of weather hampering monitoring systems, civil protection chief Vídir Reynisson told Fox News: “The challenge that we have is that we will not see any strong evidence that the magma is coming up, we will see some small earthquakes and we can see how they will probably form in one place rather than another.” Read More Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010? When will the Iceland volcano erupt and what happens when it does? Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked ‘It’s like a dystopian movie’: Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat

Hundreds of pets have been rescued from Iceland’s town of Grindavik, after they were separated from their owners over threats of an imminent volcanic eruption. Charities have taken part in a number of rescue efforts in a bid to save animals in the town with rescuers returning to look for animals. Cats, dogs, hamsters and even hens were at the centre of rescue efforts after many were left behind following evacuation orders which gave residents minutes to leave. Over 4,000 people were evacuated. Charities and other organisations stepped in to save the day as many happy reunions took place amid the bittersweet circumstances of evacuation. Hannah Everson, manager of Kattholt Animal Shelter, said she went back to the town to search for animals. She was able to collect a total of 49 animals. She reports that many pets were traumatised and “having trouble eating, or peeing and pooping”. She reports one cat in particular suffered from “after-tremor shakes” for 24 hours. “Some of the cats are still there,” she said. “They are hiding in the cracks after the earthquake, because it’s warm there. What happens if the lava bursts through?” The Dog and Cat Hotel in Asbru, run by Harpa Lind, Sæunn Hermannsdóttir and Elmar Magnússon, have been offering free stays for animals that couldn’t go with their owners. Matthias and Lana Jonsson were reunited with their pugs Mafia and Maria after an excruciating 11 days when they were given just 10 minutes to leave their home. The couple were forced to stay at a hotel that didn’t accept pets but instead were able to give them up to the Dog and Cat Hotel who were offering lodgings for free to 30 cats and 20 dogs. Matthias said: “We had 10 minutes to grab everything we could. It was scary. We haven’t been let back in yet. To see the pictures of the town being ripped apart. We don’t know if we will ever go back again. “It’s been absolutely horrible to be separated from them but we had no space at all.” Maria said: “It was so heartbreaking to leave my babies but now we are a full family again.” Ms Lind said: “There have been a lot of tears but people are just happy they dont have to give them up altogether. We wanted to help just remove that extra stress that they are going through. “People are having to pay double rent or struggling to find places to move. Residents are still calling us and we will take them all for as long as it takes.” Dyrfinna, a charity that specialises in reuniting lost pets with their owners, worked with first responders to secure the evacuation of animals in the town. Following earthquakes in Grindavik, it made a painstakingly thorough attempt to map every pet that needed rescuing, which was estimated by some to be around 300. They were also able to confirm that thousands of hens had also been evacuated by emergency workers. In a post on X, they said: “The actions of the last few days have been characterised by a great struggle for the animals who do not have a voice and their owners. “The owners and people in Grindavík have been very involved in getting the animals out with excellent results.” Additional reporting by Maira Butt Read More Inside the abandoned Iceland town left in limbo by a volcano Israel and Ukraine could face each other in a playoff final for a spot at soccer's Euro 2024 Iceland volcano: Evacuation zone ‘still dangerous’ as eruption imminent – live Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked Iceland glued to ‘imminent’ volcano eruption amid 30 minute warning