OAN Staff James Meyers
3:02 PM – Monday, June 2, 2025
The highest active volcano in Europe erupted on Monday, sending tourists on Italy’s Mount Etna into a frenzy as they ran for safety with smoke and ash rising miles into the air.
The massive clouds of smoke and ash covered the sky around Sicily after the famous volcano began to explode overnight, causing nearby homes to shake.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre Toulouse issued a “code red” Monday morning as volcanic ash began falling from the sky over the touristy area.
Additionally, the agency warned prior to the eruption that the volcano was experiencing “strong strombolian activity.”
Footage shared across social media showed visitors running down a path on the flank of the volcano when the lava first started to overflow.
According to the advisory center, ash plumes rose more than four miles in the sky.
According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the explosion happened due to the part of the southeast crater collapsing, which caused hot lava flows.
This was also the 14th eruptive phase for the volcano based in Italy.
According to the INGV, the area of danger was limited to Etna’s summit, which was closed off to tourists as a precaution.
The president of Sicily, Renato Schifani, said it was “a phenomenon that we are following with extreme caution.”
Schifani also stated that the lava as of now “posed no danger to the population.”
However, tremors were still felt around the towns and villages that were near Mount Etna.
The nearby Catania airport raised their alert level due to the eruption, but no delays or interruptions were reported at the airport.
The volcano is almost 11,000 feet high and has a surface area of over 450 square miles, making it a popular tourist attraction.
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