February 18 – According to the European Union News Agency quoted by the European Union News Agency, on the afternoon of the 16th local time, Mount Etna erupted on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, causing smoke in the island and temporarily closing a local airport.
It is reported that at about 16:10 that day, Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, began to erupt violently.
A large amount of red lava poured out from the crater to the southeast.
The huge column of ash was 1,000 meters high, even 100 kilometers away.
According to the report, the volcanic ash then drifted southward, and volcanic ash fell dozens of kilometers away in Catania, Syracusa and other places.
Immediately after the volcano began to erupt, Catania Mayor Polanse immediately signed a decree prohibiting citizens from cycling or motorcycles, requiring cars to limit the speed of 30 kilometers per hour.
Meanwhile, Catania International Airport said that the smoke and ash emitted from the southeast of the crater exceeded 1,000 meters at a height, which could not guarantee the safety of flight in the dark, so the airport was closed for a while.
At 9:00 a.m. local time on the 17th, the airport resumed operation.
According to reports, on the morning of the 17th local time, the city of Catania and the villages around Mount Etna were covered with lava ash.
Sicily’s affected cities have also begun to clean their streets, and volcanic ash has caused varying degrees of damage to cars, houses and a large number of crops grown in the countryside.
Meanwhile, the ash observation warning issued by the National Institute of Geophysical and Volcanic Research in Italy has been adjusted from red to orange on the 16th.
