Civil protection in Sicility warned of dangerous lava fountains, after a breathtaking eruption of Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, forced the closure of international Katania airport right through to late afternoon.
According o the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy, there is a very high risk of lava overflowing from a hillside south of the Etna crater.
Thick plums of ash are choking Sicily’s airspace with the volcanic cloud heading south and forcing the closure of Fontanarossa airport.
At least 10 million passengers go through the Katania airport which services the eastern part of Sicilty, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy.
Etna stands at 3.324 metres, the highest European active volcano, with dozens of eruptions over its half a million year history.