Italy's Mount Vesuvius closed to tourists as wildfire rages
ROME : Italian firefighters today tackled a wildfire on the flanks of Mount Vesuvius, with all hiking routes up the volcano near Naples closed to tourists.
The national fire service said it had 12 teams on the ground and six Canadair planes fighting the blaze, which has torn through the national park in southern Italy since Friday.
Reinforcement firefighters were on their way from other regions and the onsite teams were using drones to better monitor the spread of the fire, the service said on Telegram.
'For safety reasons and… to facilitate firefighting and clean-up operations in the affected areas, all activities along the Vesuvius National Park trail network are suspended until further notice,' the park said in a statement yesterday.
Nearly 620,000 people visited the volcano's crater in 2024, according to the park.
The smoke from the fire could be seen from the Pompeii archaeological site, which however remained open to tourists.
Experts say European countries are becoming ever more vulnerable to wildfires due to intensifying summer heatwaves linked to global warming.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Italy's Mount Vesuvius closed to tourists as wildfire rages
The wildfire has been burning through the Vesuvius National Park in southern Italy since Friday. (EPA Images pic) ROME : Italian firefighters today tackled a wildfire on the flanks of Mount Vesuvius, with all hiking routes up the volcano near Naples closed to tourists. The national fire service said it had 12 teams on the ground and six Canadair planes fighting the blaze, which has torn through the national park in southern Italy since Friday. Reinforcement firefighters were on their way from other regions and the onsite teams were using drones to better monitor the spread of the fire, the service said on Telegram. 'For safety reasons and… to facilitate firefighting and clean-up operations in the affected areas, all activities along the Vesuvius National Park trail network are suspended until further notice,' the park said in a statement yesterday. Nearly 620,000 people visited the volcano's crater in 2024, according to the park. The smoke from the fire could be seen from the Pompeii archaeological site, which however remained open to tourists. Experts say European countries are becoming ever more vulnerable to wildfires due to intensifying summer heatwaves linked to global warming.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Italy's Mount Vesuvius closed to tourists as wildfire rages
ROME: Italian firefighters on Sunday tackled a wildfire on the flanks of Mount Vesuvius, with all hiking routes up the volcano near Naples closed to tourists. The national fire service said it had 12 teams on the ground and six Canadair planes fighting the blaze, which has torn through the national park in southern Italy since Friday. Reinforcement firefighters were on their way from other regions and the onsite teams were using drones to better monitor the spread of the fire, the service said on Telegram. 'For safety reasons and... to facilitate firefighting and cleanup operations in the affected areas, all activities along the Vesuvius National Park trail network are suspended until further notice,' the park said in a statement Saturday. Nearly 620,000 people visited the volcano's crater in 2024, according to the park. The smoke from the fire could be seen from the Pompeii archeological site, which however remained open to tourists. Experts say European countries are becoming ever more vulnerable to wildfires due to intensifying - AFP
Malay Mail
02-08-2025
- Malay Mail
Thousands of young Catholics gather in Rome for Pope Leo XIV's youth vigil
ROME, Aug 2 — Thousands of young Catholics began assembling today for an evening prayer vigil led by Pope Leo XIV, the culmination of a week-long pilgrimage and a key event in the Jubilee holy year that is expected to draw up to a million people. The 'Jubilee of Youth'—when the Vatican invites Catholics aged 18 to 35 to the seat of the global Church's power—has seen young pilgrims from around the world flood Rome, waving flags, singing or praying in groups. It comes nearly three months after Leo, 69, the first American pontiff, began his papacy, and 25 years after the last such massive youth gathering in Rome under Poland's Pope John Paul II. On Saturday morning, thousands of young pilgrims had already gathered at the vast open space in Rome's eastern Tor Vergata neighbourhood where the pope will lead the vigil, the ground already dotted with blankets and mattresses. Elsewhere in the Eternal City, numerous groups of young people were seen preparing to set off for the venue. On the plaza outside the Basilica of St John Lateran, they filled water bottles, applied suncream and checked bags of food and snacks—ready to spend the next 24 hours surrounded by a swarm of people and then sleep under the stars. Victoria Perez, who carried a Spanish flag, could not contain her excitement at seeing 'the Pope up close. 'It's the first time I'm going to see him, and I can't wait,' the 21-year-old told AFP, excited to experience the 'night of prayers under the stars'. French pilgrim, Quentin Remaury, 26, said he had been inspired by the late Pope Francis's rousing message to youth during a 2016 visit to Krakow, Poland. 'Pope Francis told us to 'get off your couches,' and that really gave me a boost,' he said. 'What is his message?' Since the youth jubilee began on Monday, attendees have participated in various Church-planned events throughout the city. On Friday, approximately 1,000 priests were on hand to take confession at Circus Maximus, one of Rome's top tourist spots. Some 200 white gazebos lined the hippodrome where chariot races were once held and youths lined up to speak to priests in 10 different languages. Of the many languages heard on the streets of the Italian capital this week, Spanish seemed to dominate. The Vatican has said that more than 146 countries were represented and it expects up to a million people to attend the vigil. The pilgrimage is taking place as economic uncertainty and anxiety over climate change rises among the under-30s, with many saying they were curious to hear the Church's position on global warming, wars and economic inequalities. Samarei Semos, 29, said she had travelled three days from her native Belize to get to Rome. 'We are still trying to understand his leadership,' she said of the new pope, adding she hoped he would have a strong say about 'third world countries'. As Parisian student Alice Berry exclaimed: 'What does he have to say to us? What is his message for young people?' Raising voices The youth pilgrimage also comes amid global alarm over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and more than three years of war in Ukraine. The Vatican has praised young Catholics who managed to travel to Rome from war-scarred countries, with Pope Leo saying the voices of the world's youth 'will be heard to the end of the earth'. In an unprecedented move, Leo hosted a mass Tuesday for Catholic social media influencers, signalling the Vatican's openness to supporting the Internet-savvy youth. More than 4,300 volunteers will be working the event to welcome the young pilgrims, along with over 1,000 police, according to organisers. Rome authorities have tightened security in the city—which has seen an unprecedented number of people, with both tourists and pilgrims inundated the city. — AFP
