Photos showed lava flows and ash pouring out of the crater on the southeast side of the Italian island. The column of gray smoke rose far into the sky. There were initially no reports of major damage, in places there were reports of ash raining down. The airport of the city of Catania did not have to be closed for the time being, the authorities reported.
Mount Etna, more than 3,350 meters high, has been very active over the past year. Since mid-February 2021 it has erupted regularly and sometimes spectacularly. The ash raining down is often a problem for people in the area, and the airport in the city of Catania at the foot of Mount Etna has also had to temporarily shut down operations in the past because the runway was dirty. In September, the government of Sicily promised the municipalities two million euros in aid for the ash damage.
Source: Nachrichten
