Tourists evacuate as Mount Etna erupts in Italy, sending ash and lava into the sky

Indian Express

4 days ago

A strong volcanic eruption at Mount Etna in Sicily led to tourists quickly leaving the area on Monday, after ash, rocks, and hot gas rose several kilometres into the sky, according to Italian authorities.
Videos on social media showed crowds of tourists walking quickly downhill after the eruption began. One local tour operator told CNN that they had 40 people on the mountain at the time.
Mt Etna erupting during our tour- all safe but it was scary! #sicily #etna pic.twitter.com/nHOKkCSJeQ
— Jamie Boone (@JamieBoone) June 2, 2025
Mount Etna, located on the Italian island of Sicily, is a well-known tourist site. About 1.5 million people visit it each year, many of them hiking close to the top.
Although Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory told CNN that this was the most intense eruption since 2014.
The eruption started overnight and continued into Monday. The observatory said that small amounts of lava and fire were visible, and the explosions were getting stronger. People in nearby towns, including Catania and Taormina, which are 40 to 50 km away, reported hearing loud blasts.
In a statement shared by CNN, the observatory explained that part of the volcano's southeast crater had collapsed. This has caused lava to flow down the slopes something that has happened in recent eruptions as well.
Around 1 pm local time, the volcano began to release hot lava more actively. The observatory described the event as a 'pyroclastic eruption', which means it included a mix of hot gas, volcanic ash, small pieces of lava, and rocks. These materials can travel quickly down the mountain, making them dangerous.
The Civil Protection Agency in Sicily issued a warning to aircraft called a Volcanic Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) — asking flights to avoid the area. Airports in Catania and Palermo are still open, but some flights from Catania have been redirected to Palermo. Wind direction has so far kept ash away from the airports. Authorities are monitoring the situation as volcanic tremors continue.