Europe's biggest and most active volcano, Mount Etna, burst into eruption overnight in Sicily, spewing tall plumes of smoke and ash high above, which caused alarm among visitors.
Video clips posted on social media revealed individuals fleeing downhill as thick dark smoke rose into the air.
The eruption started at approximately 3:50 am local time, as reported by Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
The institute stated that the volcano was experiencing "increasingly intense strong Strombolian explosions."
"Over recent hours, a light dusting of fine ash has been reported in the Piano Vetore region," according to the INGV.
Before the eruption, seismic activity started around 10 pm and reached its highest point just before 1 am, as reported by the Volcanic Discovery website.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse released a red aviation warning, indicating that the ash cloud had risen to approximately 6,400 meters above sea level.
Around 11:30 am local time, INGV cameras captured a pyroclastic flow—a rapid movement of scorching gases, ash, and volcanic debris.
As stated by the institute, the flow likely resulted from "a collapse of material originating from the northern slope of the South-East Crater."
The pyroclastic material did not go past the boundary of Valle del Leone.
The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) also noted that the eruptive activity at the Southeast Crater had escalated into a lava fountain.
The elevation of Mount Etna frequently varies because of recurrent eruptions. In September, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) reported that the Voragine crater had attained a new peak altitude of 3,403 meters.
Previously, the South East Crater held the top position since 2021, having exceeded the record set by the North East Crater back in the 1970s.
( The Independent)
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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