A huge plume of ash, gas and rock has spewed forth from Italy’s Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, but authorities said there was no current danger to the population.
Surveillance cameras showed “a pyroclastic flow probably produced by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the south-east crater”, the agency said.
A pyroclastic flow occurs when volcanic rock, ash and hot gases surge from volcanoes.
The explosive activity “had transitioned to a lava fountain”, INGV said, with the plume of ash expected to dissipate towards the south-west.
“The partial collapse of the south-east crater, which generated an impressive eruptive cloud several kilometres high and a pyroclastic flow, is a phenomenon that we follow with extreme caution,” Schifani said.
Although Italy’s Mount Etna, the continent’s largest active volcano, has erupted a massive plume of ash, gas, and rock, officials said the populace is not currently in danger.
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said that images of a huge grey cloud rising from the volcano on the island of Sicily started at around 11:24 a.m. local time on Monday.
According to the agency, surveillance cameras captured “a pyroclastic flow probably produced by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the south-east crater.”.
Volcanic rock, ash, and hot gases erupting from volcanoes create a pyroclastic flow. They are very harmful.
The INGV reported that the explosive activity “had transitioned to a lava fountain,” and that the ash plume would likely disperse to the southwest.
Renato Schifani, the president of the Sicilian region, stated that experts had reassured him that there was “no danger for the population,” as the flow had not passed the tourist-popular Valley of the Lions.
AFP was unable to verify the authenticity of social media videos that seemed to show tourists rushing down the volcano’s side while some were taking pictures.
“We follow the phenomenon with extreme caution,” Schifani said, referring to the partial collapse of the south-east crater that produced a pyroclastic flow and an impressive eruptive cloud several kilometers high.
Tourists should stay away from the area “in consideration of the potential evolution of the phenomenon,” according to Salvo Cocina, head of the regional civil protection unit.
The volcanic cloud’s height was estimated to be 6.5 kilometers (more than four miles), according to a red alert issued for aviation authorities.
The airport at nearby Catania remained open.
