Latest news with #hikers
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Tourists ignored warning signs before Mount Etna eruptions
Tourists have been reminded to check for warnings before climbing towards the summit of Italy's Mount Etna after an eruption sent plumes of ash into the sky and hikers scurrying for safety. The volcano is Europe's most active, and the continent's largest and attracts hikers and backpackers to its slopes while less adventurous tourists can take it in from a distance. Salvo Cocina, head of Sicily's Civil Protection Department, said dozens of hikers ignored warnings issued early Monday morning, after initial signs of increased activity were detected on Europe's largest active volcano. Footage showed those who had ventured on to Etna, hurrying down the volcano's slopes as a large plume of ash rose behind them from the volcano on the eastern side of the island of Sicily. "There was a big explosion and a crater collapsed but luckily it fell into a deserted area," he said on Tuesday. "It's very hard to block access, you can't fence it off.' Cocina said those on the mountain on Monday, who had climbed to a height of some 2,700 metres, appeared to be properly equipped and he acknowledged the need to balance safety concerns with the desire of tourists to enjoy the views. Nobody was injured in Monday's eruption and the alert for volcanic activity had been downgraded to the more standard "yellow" level on Tuesday. Authorities said the pyroclastic flow — a fast-moving mixture of rock fragments, gas and ash — was limited to about two kilometers (more than a mile) and didn't go beyond the Valle del Leone, or Lion Valley, which forms a natural containment area. Etna towers around 3,350 meters (around 11,050 feet) above sea level and is 35 kilometers (22 miles) in diameter, although the volcanic activity has changed the mountain's height over time. Occasionally, the airport at Catania, eastern Sicily's largest city, has to close down for hours or days, when ash in the air makes flying in the area dangerous. An aviation warning was put in place during the latest event, but the airport wasn't closed.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Park closed after hikers followed by cougar in Kananaskis Country
Alberta Parks has closed a recreation area in Kananaskis Country after two hikers were followed by a cougar. Alberta Parks issued an advisory last week, noting that the Highwood Compound Provincial Recreation Area would be closed until further notice. The closure also affects Gunnery Mountain Trail and Gunnery Creek Trail. The park is located off Highway 541, southwest of Longview, Alta. 'Although an advisory is in place for this area, cougars can be encountered anywhere in the Kananaskis Region and at any time,' Alberta Parks said in the advisory. To avoid surprise encounters with a cougar, officials say to make plenty of noise, travel in groups, be aware of your surroundings and keep pets on a leash. Cougar sightings can be reported by calling 403-591-7755.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Footage shows Italy's Mount Etna erupting
Social media footage and CCTV in time-lapse released by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology shows Sicily's Mount Etna erupting, sending columns of volcanic steam and ash into the sky. According to the institute, the cloud was probably caused by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the south-east crater. Sicily's civil protection department urged hikers to avoid the volcano's summit until further notice. The eruption has not affected operations at nearby Catania airport. The city mayor told local media that the situation was under control and it was a recurring phenomenon
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Terrifying moment American tour group dodges Mt. Etna eruption after guide told them there was 'no danger'
An American tourist revealed the terrifying moment she was hiking on Mount Etna when the volcano erupted in a horrifying near-death experience. Jamie Boone, from Washington DC, told her dream vacation in Italy with her husband turned into a nightmare during their morning hike on Monday. She said the volcano had been 'active all morning', but nobody had any idea it was set to erupt so violently, until footage Boone shared to social media showed a huge plume of smoke filled the skies after the eruption. Boone was seen running with her fellow hikers as the volcano exploded and an avalanche of boiling rock was sent hurtling down the side of the mountain. 'That was when it got a little scary and we weren't sure how much danger we were in,' she said, describing the eruption as 'loud and explosive.' 'That's when our guide told us to run to get away,' she added. 'We were glad to have an experienced guide telling the others what to do, as some were going toward it. 'We were mid-mountain and that was scary, I can't imagine how it felt being at the top right by the crater. Our guide told us if it had collapsed outward instead of inward, we and a lot of others would have been in real trouble.' Boone said their guide sprang into action when the volcano erupted, but officials did not stop hikers from going up the mountain beforehand. 'We were excited to see the activity and talking to our guide about how unique the experience was,' she said. 'Then the large eruption started, much louder and more explosive. That's when our guide told us to run to get away in case it shifted towards us.' Boone was among dozens of tourists who were forced to run for their lives as a ginormous ash cloud filled the skies over the mountain. Tourists are able to visit the 3,300m-high Mount Etna in guided tours or access certain areas independently. A red aviation warning was briefly issued by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre Toulouse but has now turned to orange. The most active volcano in Europe had been experiencing some activity in the last few hours with volcanic tremors felt overnight but has escalated to continuous 'explosions of growing intensity'. The pyroclastic flow - an avalanche of burning ash careening down the slopes at a fast-pace and high-density - does not appear to have passed the edge of the Valley of the Lion, one of Etna's slopes. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Etnean Observatory, said the pyroclastic flow was 'probably produced by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the South-East Crater'. A 'lava fountain' has also begun after the ash bomb, according to the institute. The ominous ash cloud is said to mainly consist of water and sulfur dioxide and was 'drifting towards the south west' The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said earlier this morning: 'Over the past few hours, the activity flagged in the previous statement issued at 4.14am (3.14am BST) has carried on with strombolian explosions of growing intensity that, at the moment, are of strong intensity and nearly continuous. 'Over the past few hours, the falling of a little thin ash has been flagged in the Piano Vetore area.' The terrifying volcanic tremor began just after 10pm last night, reaching its peak three hours later at about 2.8km below the crater. A livestream of the volcano captured the terrifying moment and users can watch the cloud descend over the island. Activity has calmed in the last hour but the threatening grey cloud is still visible. Mount Etna, located on the eastern coast of Sicily, is one of the most active volcanoes worldwide and has been going through an especially active period for the last five years. Last summer, the volcano caused chaos at nearby airports as they were forced to limit and divert flights as pilots struggled with visibility. A usually busy Catania airport had to send flights to other airports on the island, such as Palermo and Comiso. Arriving flights were reduced to six per hour and one section of the airport was closed, while local towns were also covered in a blanket of black ash. The 500,000-year-old volcano has been spewing lava during repeated outbursts in May before today's explosion. Etna's most destructive eruption covered 14 villages and towns in lava flows and earthquakes from the volcano. The eruption, which lasted several weeks, killed nearly 20,000 people, with thousands more made homeless, according to records from 1669.
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
The ‘secret' UK island surrounded by the country's deadliest footpath
FOULNESS Island is a mere six miles from Essex, but anyone wanting to walk over will have to take on one of the deadliest paths in Britain. The Broomway is so dangerous that it can only be walked with a guide during certain times of the day - before the tide comes in. 5 Foulness Island, which is separated from Essex by narrow creeks, is dangerous to get to if you travel on The Broomway because of rising tides. The path connects Foulness Island to the mainland and stretches along the sands for six miles. The Broomway is considered dangerous because of rapidly rising tides, soft mud and quicksand, and the unexploded ordnance. There is often poor visibility across the path, which makes it hard to navigate in bad weather and during winter months. Over centuries, the path is said to have killed more than 100 people and at some points in history it was even called 'The Doomway'. As a result, The Broomway has earned itself the title of 'deadliest footpath in the country' by the BBC. Don't let that put you off though as some hikers have said a guided walk along the path is very special. One wrote on Tripadvisor: "On the way back you pass an old shipwreck before heading back. The landscape across the estuary is amazing and will take your breath away." Another added: " A fascinating, eerie walk on firm sand with an inch or two of water swirling in the wind at our feet." Someone even said it's worth adding to the 'bucket list.' Exploring UK Islands: A Journey Through Beautiful Isles (1) 5 For anyone wanting to visit Foulness Island, you can also go by car with access by road via Landwick Security Gate. However, Foulness is a 'closed island', meaning you can't just turn up. In order to step foot on the island, visitors will need to complete a registration form on the Foulness Island Heritage Centre website in advance of a visit. Non-residents can visit the island from 12pm-4pm on the first Sunday of every month from April to October. Anyone who wants to visit the Heritage Centre must declare so at the police checkpoint. The Foulness Island Heritage Centre first opened in 2003 inside a former school, which closed to students in the late 1980s. Inside is lots of artefacts and pieces of memorabilia covering 2,000 years of the island's history. Visitors to the island aren't allowed to freely explore, but there are organised excursions, including a visit to the church. Most other places on the island have closed in recent years, like The George and Dragon pub - schools and most shops have also closed. There is a post office which is also a general shop, but this is in one of the restricted areas of the island. 5 Foulness Island is home to around 200 residents who live mostly in the two villages on the north side of Foulness called Churchend and Courtsend. The reason why Foulness is a 'closed island' is because it's owned by the Ministry of Defence. It's allegedly used to test munitions like missiles, torpedoes and ballistics - although the exact nature of this work is classified. Here's another tiny UK island with under 1,000 residents so rich it's known as 'Millionaire's Isle'. And here's a UK island 'feels like a sci-fi novel' with dolphins and 12m-long sharks.
