Tourists Flee As Italy's Mount Etna Erupts, Spews Ash Thousands Of Feet Into The Air | Watch

Last Updated:June 02, 2025, 20:08 IST

Italy's Mt Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted on Monday, sending ash and rock "several kilometres high" in the air and molten lava down its slopes.

Volcanic steam rises from Mount Etna (Reuters)

Tourists fled as Italy’s Mount Etna volcano erupted on Monday, sending a plume of high-temperature gases, ash and rock “several kilometres high" in the air and rivers of molten lava down its slopes, according to Italian authorities.

The volcano, located on the Italian island of Sicily, is a popular tourist destination visited by 1.5 million people every year. It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, but no eruption of the magnitude seen today had occurred since 2014, according to the Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory.

The eruption, which began overnight, produced explosions as far as 40-50 km away in the areas of Taormina and Catania, CNN reported. Videos on social media showed the sky covered in plumes of smoke and lava as tourists were seen fleeing from the spot.

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Rome, Italy

News world Tourists Flee As Italy's Mount Etna Erupts, Spews Ash Thousands Of Feet Into The Air | Watch