Italy’s Mt. Etna erupts causing massive ash cloud, sends tourists fleeing

Mount Etna erupts in Italy sending huge plume of ash into sky

A massive eruption was caught on camera of Mount Etna as it sent huge ash plumes into the sky over Sicily, Italy on Monday, June 2.

(FOX 9) - Mount Etna in Italy erupted on Monday, sending plumes of ash and smoke into the air as tourists fled from the area. 

Volcanic eruption

The backstory:

The volcano erupted in Sicily on Monday, sending an ash cloud into the air. However, the danger zone was confined to the summit, which had been closed to tourists as a precaution, according to The Associated Press, who cited Stefano Branca, an NGV National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology official in Catania.

Trekking guide Andrea Morosini captured the powerful eruption in a Storyful video. A stream of smoke can be seen in the distance before a much larger and louder explosion occurs, sending a plume of ash into the air. Dramatic video, captured by Aurelien Pouzin via Storyful, shows tourists running away on the path near the volcano when the eruption occurred.

The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre issued a red aviation warning, which was later downgraded to an orange warning. The eruption caused some disruptions to Catania airport, which sits at the foot of Mount Etna. Parts of the airport were temporally closed due to reduced visibility, but the airport remains fully operational, according to EuroNews. 

The lava flow doesn’t appear to have crossed the natural containment area and poses no danger to the public, The Associated Press reported.