Is it safe to travel to Sicily? Your rights as Mount Etna eruption threatens disruption

Yahoo

2 days ago

Mount Etna, Europe's largest and most active volcano, has erupted on the Italian island of Sicily, sending plumes of smoke into the air as tourists ran for their lives down the side of the mountain.
The volcano is one of the world's most active, having erupted as recently as February this year when it spewed hot ash and lava. This time around, a pyroclastic flow of hot rock, ash, and gas was seen falling around 11.30am, while a fountain of lava continues to emit from its southeast crater.
Mount Etna sits in a national park near the port city of Catania, filled with a wealth of Baroque architecture and popular with those looking to head off to the volcano's foothills, covered with ash hills lava rocks on guided hikes.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse has issued a red aviation warning, but flights appear not to be largely affected as of midday Monday.
Here is everything we know so far about Mount Etna's eruption.
Mount Etna began erupting overnight, sending a large column of smoke and ash into the sky above Sicily.
Footage on social media showed people running down the mountainside of Etna as the smoke intensified.
Volcanic tremors were felt before the blast between 10pm Sunday and 1am Monday, local time.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the eruption began around 3.50am local time (2.50am BST), following volcanic tremors which started around midnight local time.
The institute said eruption activity has continued since then with 'increasing intensity' and is 'almost continuous'.
'From a seismic point of view, the values ​​of the tremor amplitude are currently high with a tendency to increase further,' the institute said.
A pyroclastic flow, which is an avalanche of hot rock, ash, and gas, was witnessed on Mount Etna surveillance cameras at around 11:30am local time, the institute added; however, the hot material does not appear to have crossed the edge of the Valle del Leone.
Meanwhile, the explosive activity from the Southeast Crater has become a lava fountain.
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.'
The FCDO says that if you are on board or waiting to board a plane when a volcano erupts, expect flights to be rerouted or cancelled because volcanic ash is damaging to engines.
A red aviation alert was issued in response to the eruption of Mount Etna by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse, one of nine such centres worldwide used to monitor aviation risks.
Sicily has four main international airports: Catania-Fontanarossa (CTA), Palermo-Falcone Borsellino (PMO), Trapani-Birgi (TPS), and Ragusa-Comiso (CIY).
All four airports appear to be carrying on with their flight schedule as normal as of midday Monday, with very little disruption. Catania has seen some minor delays in flights departing Monday morning, the longest being just over an hour.
As a passenger, you are covered by UK law if you are departing from an airport in the UK on any airline, arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline, or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.
Airlines must provide you with care and assistance if your flight is cancelled, meaning they must supply you with food and drink (often provided in the form of vouchers), means for you to communicate (often by refunding call costs), accommodation if you are given a new flight the following day, and transport to and from the accommodation or your home.
The airline must provide you with these items until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it, the Civil Aviation Authority says.
Sometimes, airlines are unable to arrange care and assistance if they are stretched during major disruptions, meaning you can arrange the care yourself and claim the cost back later by keeping receipts.
If your cancelled flight is covered by UK law, passengers can choose between getting an alternative flight or receiving a refund if their flight is cancelled.
If you recieved less than 14 days' notice of a cancellation, you may also be able to claim compensation. However, this is unlikely if the cancellation was not the airline's fault.
Situations such as extreme weather, strikes or other 'extraordinary circumstances' are not eligible for compensation.
As the Foreign Office has not warned against non-essential travel to Italy, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund.
The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so it's best to contact them if you're looking to postpone.
There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on your travel insurance due to safety concerns unless the Foreign Office advice changes.
If you do have travel insurance, some policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents you from reaching your holiday destination. Check your insurance policies and speak to your insurer to see where you stand.