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Italy’s Mount Etna lights up night sky in spectacular eruption

Italy’s Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, erupted in spectacular fashion late on Thursday, lighting up the night sky with explosions and bright red molten lava.

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“The eruption centred on the volcano’s southeastern crater, at a height of around 2,900 metres, sent ash and plumes of smoke 8 km into the sky,” Italy’s National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology said. There have been no reports of any injuries.

The 3,330 metre high volcano can burst into spectacular action several times a year, spewing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island of Sicily.

#Etna is not exactly famous for producing pyroclastic flows, though they are pretty common during her violent paroxysmal episodes. Here is a nice little one during the powerful paroxysm on the evening of 10 February 2022. pic.twitter.com/p1b5HxuKr0

— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) February 10, 2022

Etna’s infamous past

The longest eruption of the 20th century and one of the longest in the history of Mount Etna was taking place between 1991-1993. The Italian services tried desperately to block the river of flowing lava with cement blocks and an explosion of dynamite. NATO soldiers and planes from the Sigonella military base near Catania also took part in the action.

The hero of this event was Rosario di Carlo known as “Saro Ruspa”, a caterpillar machine worker who, by pushing the stagnant lava, managed to construct a wall blocking its flowing river.

As experts remind, Etna is considered to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world. In 2021 alone, it erupted about 50 times.

Photo: Salvatore Allegra/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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