4 days ago
Italy's Mount Etna erupts as tourists visit the volcano
Groups of tourists had to seek safety on Monday, when Italy's Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano erupted.
The volcano is located on the Italian island of Sicily and is a popular tourist destination with 1.5 million visitors a year, reported CNN. Many people who visit the volcano hike almost all the way to the summit.
Videos show how smoke and ash filled the air as tourists scrambled down the volcano when it erupted.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Etna Observatory reported that multiple explosions of 'increasing intensity' were recorded early Monday morning, according to BBC. The mountain was spewing small amounts of fire and lava.
Preliminary observations show a 'partial collapse' of the northern flank of the volcano's southeast crater, which has produced spectacular lava flows during recent eruptions in the last few months.
The eruption began overnight and the explosions were heard as far away as Catania and Taormina which are 25 miles and 31 miles away, respectively.
None of the ash is expected to fall onto Catania which is located at the foot of the volcano, per CNN. Authorities are prepared to issue alerts for people to take cover if the wind changes.
Roads up to the volcano were closed as a way to prevent people from trying to get close to the eruptions and from disrupting first responders and emergency vehicles.
Etna is one of the world's most active volcanos, CNN reported, but it hasn't had an eruption of this magnitude since 2014. It is one of 47 volcanoes actively erupting in 2025.
Monday's volcanic activity was defined as a pyroclastic eruption which caused 'significant increase in volcanic tremor and the formation of an eruptive column containing a lethal mixture of high-temperature gases, lava grains, volcanic ash, and rock fragments of various sizes that rapidly descends down the slopes of the volcano.'
According to UNESCO, Mount Etna is one of the most closely watched and researched volcanos in the world. It has a 500,000-year history of eruptions, with 2,700 years of recorded activity.
The volcano's activity can vary from explosive eruptions to lava flows and ash emissions, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
