Alert for the eruption of Etna, the most active volcano in Europe: ash fall and flights suspended

The mountain Etnathe most active volcano in Europe, erupted this Sunday, threw ashes on Cataniathe largest city in eastern Sicily, e forced to suspend flights at that city’s airport. No injuries were reported.

Italy’s Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Volcanologia (INGV), which closely monitors Mount Etna with instrumentation on the slopes, noted that cloud cover on a rainy day prevented seeing the eruption. This volcano often puts on a spectacular display of flaming lava during rare but ejections I could not see it due to the weather.

The crater of the volcano is about 3,300 meters high.

The institute reported that the ash fell on Catania and at least one town on the inhabited slopes of Etna. Authorities also said there were no injuries.

The Catania airport, for its part, communicated that flight operations were temporarily suspended due to the fall of ash.

INGV indicated that the monitoring had recorded evidence of a increased tremor activity in recent days. While on Sunday people in the towns of Adrano and Biancavilla reported hearing loud explosions coming from the volcano.

Italy’s national civil protection agency said in an advisory on Thursday that, in view of increased volcanic activity, there could be “sudden” changes in Etna’s activity.

On the same day, the Civil Protection of the Sicily Region issued a “Red alert” in the Etna area due to the “very high probability of an imminent fall o in rivers of lava“.

According to a statement from the organization, the head of Civil Protection, Salvo Cocina, has invited the municipal leaders of the area to activate “the community operational centers and the structures themselves, in addition to volunteering, following the measures of the national plan. “

The last eruption of Etna it started on November 27, 2022 and ended on February 14 this year. There were also eruptions in 2021 and early last year.