Mount Etna Erupts: Tourists Flee as Lava Fountain Sends Ash into the Sky

Mount Etna Eruption Sends Tourists Fleeing: Dramatic Footage Captures Volcanic Activity Tourists visiting Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, experienced a sudden and dramatic eruption on June 2nd, 2025. The event, originating from the volcano's Southeast Crater, sent large clouds of ash and smoke into the air, prompting a swift evacuation of onlookers. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) confirmed the eruption, describing the activity as a 'lava fountain'. One eyewitness, Aurelien Pouzin, captured the event on video, stating, "Tout le monde est en panique, tout le monde descend." (Everyone is panicking, everyone is descending.) The footage shows tourists scrambling down the mountainside as the eruption intensifies, creating a scene of both awe and apprehension. Another video, from Andrea Morosini, showed the massive plume of black smoke and ash rising above the volcano. Despite the impressive scale of the eruption, authorities reported no immediate danger to the surrounding population or to air travel. The eruption serves as a reminder of the powerful forces of nature and the importance of preparedness in volcanic regions. While the event caused a temporary disruption, the quick response and lack of reported injuries offer a positive conclusion to an otherwise dramatic situation.