Mount Etna erupts again, disrupting flights in Sicily

Mount Etna erupted again on Sunday, sending an ash cloud drifting over the Italian island of Sicily and forcing flight restrictions at Catania airport.

The airport said airspace in the area was heavily restricted until 7 pm local time (1700GMT), affecting both takeoffs and landings.

Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reported that ash emissions began early Sunday from a vent at the volcano’s summit. The activity intensified later in the morning, producing an eruption column that rose about 1.5 kilometers (nearly 1 mile) above the crater.

Forecasters expected the ash cloud to continue drifting southward over the following hours.

Rising roughly 3,300 meters (10,800 feet) on Sicily’s eastern coast, Mount Etna is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It frequently produces lava flows, ash emissions and powerful summit explosions.