By Barbie Latza Nadeau and Billy Stockwell, CNN
Lava flowing from a fracture on the Mount Etna during an eruption of the volcano on February 14, 2025. Photo: AFP
A week of spectacular lava sprays on Sicily's snow-capped Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanos, has drawn thousands of people wanting to see the eruption.
But the sudden influx of sightseers has become a safety risk, according to head of Sicily's regional Civil Protection agency Salvo Cocina.
Most of the tourists were well-equipped and accompanied by alpine and volcanological guides, he told CNN, but "there is also a constant influx of thousands of people, wildly parking and hiking up the edge of narrow roads, blocking the circulation of rescue vehicles."
On Monday eight people who were attempting to hike up the mountain without a guide were lost for several hours before rescuers located them, Cocina said.
On Sunday a 48-year-old man fractured his foot after falling on ice, he said.
He added the constant presence of rescue workers, including 4x4 ambulances and other off-road vehicles, was important for those who worked on the volcano and for the guides who were authorised to take people up the mountain.
"Blocking them has created a dangerous situation for everyone," he said.
The current eruptive phase started 11 February, according to the country's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.
Videos and photos of the bright orange lava flowing down the mountainside went viral after a group of hikers posted them on social media.
Volcanologist with Etna Observatory Boris Behncke, who lives on the mountain flank, told CNN on Tuesday that the lava had descended to about 1,950-metre elevation and destroyed trees near a service road.
Catania's airport also diverted flights away from the ash clouds on both Sunday and Monday, according to the airport's X account, but has now resumed all services.
The airport closes several times a year due to the active volcano.
As well as being the most active stratovolcano in the world, Mount Etna is also Europe's highest volcano, at about 3,350 meters (almost 11,000 feet) tall.
In 2023, a cloud of volcanic ash spewing from the volcano prompted the closure of one of Sicily's largest airports, leading to flights being delayed, cancelled and diverted.
- CNN
