Italy's Mount Etna is erupting again. Stunning photos show the volcano sending ash into the sky and turning into a 'lava fountain.'
Italy's Mount Etna erupted early Monday, causing tourists to flee as it spewed a massive plume of hot volcanic debris into the air. Videos circulating on social media purportedly show people on guided tours running from the eruption.
The explosive activity has since moved to a 'lava fountain,' according to the nation's volcano monitoring agency. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in Italy said in a translated social media post that a pyroclastic flow, which is a combination of hot ash, rock fragments and gas, was 'probably produced by the collapse of material from the northern side of the Southeast Crater."
Located on the eastern coast of Sicily between the cities of Messina and Catania, Mount Etna rises roughly 10,900 feet, making it the tallest active volcano in Europe. Derived from the Greek word 'Aitne,' meaning 'I burn," Mount Etna erupts frequently, though its lava has not come close to nearby towns since the 1800s.
Mount Etna is considered one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, and the popular tourist destination is visited by 1.5 million people per year.
Etna erupted twice last year, forcing the closure of the Catania Airport due to volcanic ash and low visibility. In 2021 alone, it erupted 11 times within three weeks. Before this week, the most recent notable eruption was on Feb. 11.
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