A huge column of ash, gas and rock erupted from Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, on the Italian island of Sicily, the largest in the Mediterranean Sea, but authorities said there was no danger to the public for now.
According to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), a “pyroclastic flow, probably formed by the collapse of material from the northern slope of the southeastern crater” was observed.
According to preliminary reports, the glowing material remained in the remote and uninhabited Valle del Leone valley and the aviation warning level was raised to red for safety reasons.
However, Catania International Airport, which operates nearby, remains open for now.
Catania’s mayor Enrico Tarantino told the publication Adnkronos that there is no criticality.
“This phenomenon is recurring and, among other things, given the monitoring of the volcano, this was already predicted and access to the peaks was forbidden,” he said.
Etna is 3,357 metres high. It can vary depending on the results of eruptions and collapses. The volcano has 200 to 400 lateral volcanic craters. Lava is ejected from them every few months. Etna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.