Mount Etna is once again in a period of intense activity, with continuous eruptions of lava and gases. Tourists exploring the area were forced to run for safety when a massive ash cloud erupted behind them.
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Etna Observatory, reported that a pyroclastic flow — an avalanche of hot ash moving at high speed and density — was “likely caused by the collapse of material from the northern side of the southeastern crater.”
The Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center issued a temporary red aviation alert, which has since been downgraded to orange.
The volcano has… calmed down over the past hour, but the menacing gray cloud is still visible.
Etna, located on the eastern coast of Sicily, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and has been “roaring” intermittently over the past five years.
