The Italian authorities are on the alert, after the explosions of the volcano Etna as well as the smaller one, on the island of Stromboli.
The explosions resulted in the creation of lava jets as well as the ejection of large amounts of ash, which led the authorities to temporarily close the Catania airport.
THE Etnaone of the most active volcanoes in the world, intense activity has been seen in the last few days, and at Stromboli, off the northern coast of Sicily, lava has reached the sea.
Italy’s Civil Protection Agency issued a “red alert” for Stromboli, warning that the situation could worsen.
Civil Defense Minister Nello Musumetsi said Stromboli was “under surveillance”, adding that the authorities had ensured that evacuation plans were ready in the event of an emergency.
The eruption of the Stromboli volcano (Marco Malaspina via REUTERS)
In Catania, on Sicily’s east coast, residents and local authorities cleared the city after roads and cars were covered in volcanic ash, and the nearby airport was closed.
“The Catania airport runway cannot be used due to the fall of volcanic ash. Both arrivals and departures have been suspended,” the airport said in an earlier statement.
Images from Etna
Source, Photos: Reuters