Spectacular images of lava flowing down the slopes of an erupting Mount Etna have drawn flocks of sometimes ill-equipped tourists to the Italian volcano – drawing concern from local guides.
The tallest active volcano in Europe, Etna has been spewing ash and lava for days, forcing the continued closure of the nearby Catania airport, a key gateway for tourists visiting the island of Sicily.
Companies that organise nighttime hikes allowing participants to watch the eruption up close say they have been flooded with calls.
"They all want to come and see the lava flow, everyone is drawn to this unique beauty," Daniele Perricelli, 41, a local guide, told AFP on Wednesday.
Perricelli's group, Guide Etna, takes a few dozen visitors up the volcano every evening – but is currently receiving about 300 requests a day, three times what it gets on an average summer day, he said.
