MILAN – The Mount Etna observatory said lava and ash were spewing from a new fracture on the active Sicilian volcano amid an unusually high level of seismic activity.
The Etna observatory said a swarm of 130 tremors had been recorded by Monday midday, the most powerful registering a magnitude of 4.0. It reported lava flows from the volcano and said a new fracture had opened near its southeast crater.
The owner of a refuge on the volcano says hikers were being brought down from higher elevations to 6,230 feet for their safety. But there were no reports of injuries, and so far the spewing ash was not causing disruptions to residents of nearby towns and cities.
Etna, the largest of Italy’s three active volcanoes, has been particularly active since July.
