Mount Etna spews smoke and ash during volcanic activity in Sicily, Italy, on April 15, when the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology-Etna Observatory reported a new Strombolian activity in the South-East crater. A massive eruption Monday sent smoke, ash and lava into the air, collapsing the South-East crater. File Photo by Orietta Scardino/EPA-EFE
June 2 (UPI) -- Italy's Mount Etna on the island of Sicily erupted Monday spewing ash and hot lava that sent tourists, who were summiting the mountain, fleeing. The massive eruption also collapsed the volcano's southeast crater.
The 10,925-foot mountain is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Monday's eruption is the largest since 2014, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory, which noted "explosions of increasing intensity" that were "almost continuous."
The observatory shared video on its Facebook page, showing the large eruption and collapse of Etna's southeast crater.
"An interdisciplinary group of researchers from the PRIN-Volando project, among which INGV staff were present sends us a video of the pyroclastic flow that happened recently," INGV wrote in a post.
