Gone are the days of running away from an erupting volcano. In Italy, tourists are flocking to Mount Etna, which began spewing ash and lava on Feb. 11. This has created an "extremely dangerous" situation in the city of Catania, at the base of the volcano, says Sicily's head of regional civil protection, Salvo Cocina. He describes "a wild scene with cars crowding the narrow roads," bringing traffic to a standstill and leaving rescue vehicles "unable to pass," per the Guardian. He adds that the very day-trippers creating the problem could find themselves in need of rescue due to "risks of falls and people sinking into the snow."
Over the weekend, thousands of people hiked up the volcano to get the best views of the eruption, largely ignoring a directive to stay at least 1,600 feet or so from the lava, per Euronews and the Guardian. Media outlets even aired footage of daredevils skiing at the spot where lava meets snow. "It exposes them to serious risks, as the lava, interacting with the snow, can instantly vaporize it and, with the thermal energy released, may violently hurl fragments or rocks," says Carlo Caputo, mayor of the nearby town of Belpasso.
As of Monday, lava flows were advancing from the volcano's southeast crater, dubbed Bocca Nuova, or "New Mouth," per Euronews. Though there's no immediate threat to inhabited areas, the fire brigade was called in Monday when six adults and two minors got lost on the mountain. They were found hours later, per the Guardian. Others had been reported missing over the preceding days, while one man fell and broke his foot. There've also been numerous diverted flights in and out of Catania's airport at the base of Mount Etna, Europe's tallest and most active volcano. (More Mount Etna stories.)
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