Italian authorities have issued a statement after Mount Etna erupted. Etna is located in Sicily and is the highest active volcano in Europe.
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology issued a statement to confirm it has started erupting again early this morning. At 11.03am local time, it said: “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.” Mount Etna is the most active volcano in Europe and erupts almost every year.
Dramatic images have been released showing plumes of smoke above the Italian mountain. The eruption triggered the Aviation Colour Code to be raised to red.
However, this has since been reduced to orange and Catania Airport remained fully operational. The Aviation Colour Code is a way to warn pilots and air traffic controllers about potential hazards from volcanic eruptions.
A towering ash plume rose several kilometers above Mount Etna following an intense phase of volcanic activity at the Southeast Crater, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
The volcanic tremor reached very high levels, with its centroid located beneath the Southeast Crater. The eruption, which is the fourteenth in recent months, created dramatic visuals of ash clouds and lava that quickly went viral on social media. Despite the spectacular nature of the eruption, no damage or injuries have been reported.
Monday is a public holiday in Italy, and the vast majority of people were not at work.
Regional authorities moved quickly to assess the situation. Renato Schifani, president of the Sicilian region, said he is “closely monitoring the evolution of the event through the regional Civil Protection Department.” He emphasized that, based on current assessments, there is “no danger to the population.”
“I am following developments on Etna with utmost attention,” Schifani said in a statement. “Director Salvatore Cocina has been in continuous contact since the early morning with the prefect of Catania and senior scientists at INGV. The partial collapse of the Southeast Crater, which generated the massive ash plume and pyroclastic flow, is being followed with extreme caution.”
Schifani expressed gratitude to civil protection teams, local authorities, and INGV experts for the prompt activation of monitoring and safety protocols. “The region is ready to act with all necessary means to protect the population and the territory,” he added.
Civic protection chief Salvo Cocina advised hikers to avoid the summit area until further notice due to the potential for further activity. “Maximum precaution is advised,” he said.
Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, remains under close surveillance as the intensity of the eruption gradually decreases. Volcanic tremor levels have fallen from high to medium-high, indicating a possible decline in eruptive energy.