Mount Etna eruption live: Volcanic blast which sent tourists fleeing was most powerful in four years

Independent

4 days ago

Tours are returning to the slopes of Mount Etna after its largest eruption in four years sent tourists fleeing from a vast column of gas and ash on Monday.
After footage of the dramatic eruption circulated online - showing tourists sprinting down the volcano as black ash spewed several kilometres into the sky - Italian geological authorities were quick to quell fears that tourists and residents were under any danger.
Etna has erupted more than a dozen times already this year, including in February, when thousands of tourists flocked towards the volcano to witness the spectacle. Monday's eruption began at around 3.50am local time (2.50am BST), following volcanic tremors which began around midnight local time.
'Such intense volcanic activity had not been recorded since February 2021,' said Stefano Branca director of the Etna Observatory in Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. The agency said the volcano was experiencing strong strombolian explosions – a type of eruption – 'of growing intensity'.
The main concern in the days following the eruption is air traffic disruption, said Dr Stuart Black, geological expert at the University of Reading. 'Commercial aircraft typically fly at similar altitudes as where the volcanic material is reaching, so persistent activity could force flight rerouting in the region,' he said.
Volcanologist reveals exactly what happened at Mount Etna
On Monday morning local time, a huge cloud of ash, hot gas and rock fragments began spewing from Italy's Mount Etna.
An enormous plume was seen stretching several kilometres into the sky from the mountain on the island of Sicily, which is the largest active volcano in Europe.
While the blast created an impressive sight, the eruption resulted in no reported injuries or damage and barely even disrupted flights on or off the island.
Volcanology expertTeresa Ubide writes:
Volcanologist reveals exactly what happened at Mount Etna
Mount Etna eruptions are commonly described as 'Strombolian eruptions' – though that may not apply to this event
Alex Croft4 June 2025 04:00
What is pyroclastic flow?
When Mount Etna erupted, huge plume of pyroclastic flow ejected explosively form the Sicilian volcano.
But what is pyroclastic flow?
The extremely dangerous mass of volcanic rock, ash and hot gases surges from a volcanoes crater at a speed of hundreds of kilometres per hour.
'Pyroclastic flows (dense mixes of gas ash and volcanic particles) are very dangerous because of the high speed in which they move and the high temperature,' said Dr Carmen Solana, Volcanology professor at the University of Portsmouth.
'Of course inhaling the particles can be harming too, especially if hot.'
National Geographic says the flow is 'extremely hot, burning anything in its path'.
Alex Croft4 June 2025 03:00
How often has Mount Etna erupted this year?
Mount Etna is considered the most active volcano in Europe, and the most active stratovolcano in the world (a stratovolcano is what most people consider a volcano, namely a conical formation, often with a central crater, formed by layer upon layer of lava from repeated eruptions).
So it is no wonder that Mount Etna has erupted countless times in the thousands of years it has been documented.
But how many times has it erupted this year?
The short answer: A lot; and continually.
The Global Volcanism Program records 'continued activity' at Mount Etna consistently from mid-February, when there was a major eruption.
On 23 April and 13 May, there were notable additional eruptions, with lava fountains and ash plumes observed.
Alex Croft4 June 2025 02:00
Video shows some tourists fleeing volcano, while others ran to take photos
While dozens of tourists ran down Mount Etna as the volcano spewed ash and gas on Monday, others ran up a slope to take pictures of the spectacle.
Video shows people both fleeing from and going towards the plume, although still from a distance.
Volcanologist Professor Dougal Jerram told The Independent said volcano eruptions can be quite spectacular, which attracts visitors.
'It's always a battle to try and make sure people are safe. But also there's a certain element of needing people to be able to see and appreciate the natural phenomenon as well as understand the beauty, but also the risks with such an amazing mountain,' he said.
'While [authorities are] constantly monitoring what's happening, they need to be able to warn people when things are more dangerous. But obviously, once you get to relatively passive eruptions, there is a potential for people to sort of almost become volcano tourists.'
Rachel Clun4 June 2025 01:00
Mount Etna's worst disaster
Residents of Sicily are familiar with the eruptions of Mount Etna; today's eruption is the 14th in recent months.
Rarely are people injured or killed. During a February eruption this year, officials were even forced to try to stop people from heading towards, not away, from the spewing Mount Etna, as tourists tried to snap the dazzling flows of bright orange lava.
But previous eruptions have been devastating.
Worst among them was in 1669. At least 20,000 citizens, mainly from the nearby city of Catania, are believed to have died after a massive, months-long eruption. Approximately 3,000 people living on the side of the volcano died of asphyxiation, while a further 17,000 below died after refusing to flee their homes, believing the city's defensive walls would protect them.
Alex Croft4 June 2025 00:00
Stunning image of pyroclastic flow witnessed as 'lava fountain' erupts
A pyroclastic flow – a powerful avalanche of hot rock, ash, and gas – was witnessed on Mount Etna surveillance cameras at around 11:30am local time on Monday, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.
This was 'probably produced by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the South-East Crater', according to a statement from the institute.
The hot pyroclastic material does not appear to have crossed the edge of the Valle del Leone, it said.
However, the explosive activity from the Southeast Crater has become a lava fountain, the institute said.
Alex Croft3 June 2025 23:01
What made Mount Etna's latest eruption so rare
Mount Etna, the volcano that towers over eastern Sicily, has again captivated the world with a spectacular show, spewing smoke and high into the sky.
But the defining event of Monday's eruption was the more rare pyroclastic flow from the southwestern crater not visible from a distance.
The volcano is Europe's most active, and the continent's largest. Etna attracts hikers and backpackers to its slopes while less adventurous tourists can take it in from a distance, most stunningly from the Ionian Sea.
What made Mount Etna's latest eruption so rare
Mount Etna has again captivated the world with a spectacular show
Alex Croft3 June 2025 22:01
Why is Mount Etna known as 'Lady of the Rings'?
Mount Etna has been nicknamed the 'Lady of the Rings' due to the rings it produces made of condensed water vapour.
But what are they?
The rings were first spotted erupting from Etna in the 1970s, in one of the first recorded events of this type. The rings came again in 2000, 2013 and 2023.
In 2024, Etna again puffed volcanic vortex rings from its crater.
The rings are formed of gas which escapes from underground magma, tour company Etna Way explains.
'They only form under certain conditions: the gas must rise quickly upwards in a narrow, round and regular vent, as after an explosion of a gas bubble in the magma.
'The gas rises faster in the centre of the vent than at the edges, where it is slowed down by friction.
'As a result, the gas begins to rotate around itself. This is how these rings can form, which then rise further upwards or are blown away by the wind,' Etna Way explained.
Alex Croft3 June 2025 21:00
What is the government's advice on visiting Sicily?
The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not released any new travel advice relating to Mount Etna's eruption as of Monday morning.
The FCDO's general advice for volcanic eruptions states that you should follow any guidance and instructions shared with you by local authorities.
'If you are asked to evacuate, do so as soon as possible and take your key documents (for example, passport) and necessary supplies (for example, medication) with you,' the FCDO adds.
'If you are not told to evacuate but are in an affected area, you should shelter in place. Close any windows and turn off air conditioning or HVAC systems. Ensure that you have enough basic supplies (including food, necessary medication and bottled water) given power may be affected and water supplies may be contaminated. If you cannot get basic supplies to shelter in place, you may need to evacuate.
'If you go outside, cover your skin and wear a mask or other face covering, as volcanic ash could irritate your skin and airways.'
Alex Croft3 June 2025 20:00
New video of tourists fleeing emerges
Alex Croft