Mount Etna volcano erupts, raining ash on Catania, forcing suspension of flight at local airport
Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, is erupting, spewing ash over Catania, the largest city in eastern Sicily, and forcing the suspension of flights at that city’s airport
Mount Etna with smoke and city of Catania in Sicily, Italy.
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ROME — Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, erupted on Sunday, spewing ash over Catania, the largest city in eastern Sicily, and forcing a suspension of flights at that city’s airport .
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, or INGV, which closely monitors Mount Etna with instruments on the slopes, noted that cloud cover on a rainy day obstructed the view of the eruption, which often serves as a spectacular display of flaming lava while the volcano is not infrequent eruptions.
The institute said ash fell on Catania and at least one town on the inhabited slopes of Mount Etna. No injuries were reported.
Catania airport said due to the ash fall flight operations have been temporarily suspended.
The INGV said monitoring had recorded evidence of increased tremor activity in recent days.
Residents of the towns of Adrano and Biancavilla reported hearing loud explosions emanating from the volcano on Sunday, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
The Italian national civil protection agency had noted in an alert on Thursday that in view of the increase in volcanic activity, “sudden” variations in the activity of Etna could occur.
In early 2021, an eruption of the volcano lasted several weeks.
ABC News
