Air traffic was restricted at Catania Airport in Sicily on Sunday due to increased activity at the Etna volcano. Passengers were asked to contact the airline for information about their flights. Photos showing the eruption were received on Kontakt 24.
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, strong volcanic activity was recorded in the area of the cone of the highest active volcano in Europe. The amplitude of the tremors increased from hour to hour, until finally, just before dawn, an eruption occurred in the Voragine crater. A column of lava and volcanic ash rose into the sky to a height of 10 kilometers. In the morning, Etna slowly began to calm down.
Catania Airport has reduced its work
This time, the airport in nearby Catania, which receives thousands of passengers from around the world, was not completely closed, as it was after the eruption in early July, but its operations were limited. The number of arrivals was reduced to six per hour. Delays in arrivals and departures were reported.
The airport management appealed to passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline.
Cleanup of the volcanic ash has begun at the airport and throughout the city.
Etna has erupted againPAP/EPA/ORIETTA SCARDINO
The moment of the eruption was captured by Mrs. Agnieszka, who is in Sicily. She sent photos and a recording to Kontakt 24, showing the erupting volcano.
As Giuseppe Amendolia, a guide on Etna, explained to Reuters, this is the second clear activity of the volcano in less than 48 hours. The cone has been experiencing an increase in volcanic processes for some time.
Etna, a 3,330-meter-high volcano in Sicily, is the highest volcanic cone in Europe and one of the most active in the world. It has the longest documented eruption history of any volcano, with the first records dating back to 425 BC.
Reuters, Kontakt 24, tvnmeteo.pl, PAP
Main image source: PAP/EPA/ORIETTA SCARDINO