Massive ash cloud erupts from Sicily's Mount Etna in fiery volcanic show

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 02, 2025 3:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Sicily's Mount Etna enactment connected a fiery amusement connected Monday, sending a unreality of fume and ash respective kilometres into the air. 

Although the eruption sent immoderate tourists scrambling, officials said the enactment posed nary information to the population.

The level of alert was raised astatine the Catania airdrome owed to the volcanic activity, but nary contiguous interruptions were reported. An authoritative update declared the ash unreality emanation had ended by the afternoon.

Video and photos of the eruption amusement a abrupt cascade of worldly and billowing ash moving down the flank of the summit, appearing arsenic though the volcano was splitting successful half.

Footage shared connected societal media shows tourists moving on a way connected the flank of the immense volcano arsenic fume swirled immoderate region successful the background. Excursions are fashionable connected Etna, which is immoderate 3,300 metres high, with a aboveground country of immoderate 1,200 quadrate kilometres. 

Italy's INGV National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the spectacle connected Europe's astir progressive volcano was caused erstwhile portion of the southeast crater collapsed, resulting successful blistery lava flows and accompanying clouds of ash.

The volcanic clouds reached a tallness of 6,500 metres astatine 1 point, according to observations recorded by the institute. It was the 14th eruptive signifier successful caller months.

The country of information was confined to the acme of Etna, which was closed to tourists arsenic a precaution, according to Stefano Branca, an INGV authoritative successful Catania. The southeast crater sits about 2,800 metres supra oversea level. 

Sicily's president, Renato Schifani, said lava flows emitted successful the eruption had not passed the earthy containment area, "and posed nary information to the population."

Dramatic fits are communal astatine Mount Etna, which is Europe's astir progressive volcano. The volcano drew eyes successful mid-May erstwhile it changeable plumes of lava and clouds of ash up into the sky, feeding 2 humble lava flows adjacent its progressive southeast crater. 

Tremors from Monday's eruption were wide felt successful the towns and villages connected Mount Etna's flanks, Italian media reported.

The Civil Protection successful Sicily recommended hikers debar the volcano's acme until further notice.