Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, is erupting and officials are questioning whether tougher restrictions need to be applied, the Associated Press reports.
Catania authorities have suspended or restricted excursions to see the volcano’s lava flows amid eruptions in recent weeks, which has resulted in tour guides going on strike for the first time in decades and displeasure from tourists. Demonstrations were held in front of Mount Etna’s lava flow gate on Wednesday (January 7), with guides claiming that the new restrictions are excessive as past lava flows were slow-moving and safe to be viewed.
“These measures effectively nullify the role of guides, stripping them of their skills, function, and professional responsibility,” a statement by the guides’ regional board said via the Associated Press.
Mount Etna is estimated to be 3,350 meters (nearly 10,990 feet) tall and 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) wide, attracting hikers and backpackers to its slopes, as well as other tourists who can view the volcano from a distance, which includes the Ionian Sea. Last June, videos shared online showed panicked tourists running to safety as massive plumes of smoke filled the sky and an explosion caused nearby homes to shake.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre Toulouse quickly issued a “code red” as volcanic ash started to fall in the popular tourism area, having warned that the volcano was experiencing “strong strombolian activity.”
Footage shared on social media showed scared visitors of Mount Etna — reported to be 3,403 meters (11,165 feet) at its tallest peak in September 2024 — down the mountainside as the lava began to overflow. Another clip shared by a trekking guide showed smoke thickening as it rose up the active volcano.
Ash plumes were reported to have reached an estimated altitude of 6,400 meters (about 20,997), according to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Toulouse.
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