Mount Etna erupts in Sicily, forcing tourists to flee as volcanic ash and tremors intensify
Mount Etna erupted early Monday morning, sending plumes of volcanic ash into the air above Sicily and forcing tourists to flee as seismic activity surged.
Video shows tourists fleeing Mt. Etna in Catania, Italy, on June 2.
Mount Etna erupted early Monday morning, sending plumes of volcanic ash into the air above Sicily and forcing tourists to flee as seismic activity surged, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
Mount Etna exhibits a Strombolian eruption, with a volcanic plume rising from the southeast crater, on June 02, 2025 in Catania, Italy. An orange aviation warning has been issued. The images show aerial views of the volcano with the city of Catania in the background. (Photo by Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images)
The eruption began around 4:14 a.m. local time, with a series of increasingly intense strombolian explosions, which are short bursts of lava and gas typical of Etna’s activity. Thermal imaging shared by the INGV later in the morning showed pyroclastic material, a dangerous mix of hot rock, ash and gas, flowing down the volcano’s slopes.
The eruption, which was visible across the region, was also captured on a public livestream, giving viewers around the world a front-row seat to the dramatic event.
Footage circulating on social media shows people running for cover as ash darkened the early morning sky. While no injuries have been reported, officials are monitoring the situation closely and advising visitors to stay clear of the volcano’s upper slopes.
A large, dark plume shot out of Mount Etna on June 2. Visitors nearby had to run when Mount Etna erupted.
“Over the past few hours, the falling of a little thin ash has been flagged in the Piano Vetore area,” the INGV reported. The institute added that tremor levels remain high and are continuing to increase, a sign that additional eruptions could occur.
Smoke rises from the crater of the Etna volcano as it erupts, on Mount Etna near Catania on June 2, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe Distefano / AFP)
(Photo credit: Andrea Morosini via Storyful)
As of late Monday morning local time, the lava flow had not yet crossed into the Valley of the Lion, a natural basin that surrounds part of the volcano. The ash cloud is forecast to drift southwest, potentially affecting air quality and visibility.
Mount Etna, located on the east coast of Sicily, is Europe’s tallest and most active volcano. It frequently erupts with varying intensity, but sudden changes in activity can pose risks to nearby communities and travelers.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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