A huge plume of smoke and ash was seen billowing above an Italian volcano after it erupted this morning and triggered a mini-tsunami. The Stromboli volcano, off the coast of Italy’s southern island of Sicily, erupted at around noon local time in a deafening explosion.
Tourists said they were ‘terrified’ at the sound of the boom and reported a string of minor eruptions before the ‘giant’ one took place. Witnesses shared shocking footage of the volcano which is one of the most active in the world and has been regularly been erupting since 1932. They said the eruption has left with a ‘metallic taste in our mouths’, as rocks, sand, ash and debris were scattered by the explosion.
No casualties have been reported but nearby beaches were evacuated as a precaution.
One video on Twitter showed a dinghy boat at the foot of the volcano desperately trying to escape the incoming plumes of smoke and ashes. Residents said the ba was louder than the eruption which led to the death of 35-year-old hiker Massimo Imesi in July.
Small fires were scattered around the Ginostra del Vulcano area and engulfed Mr Imesi, 35, from Milazzo, but his friend managed to survive. According to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, today’s eruption also caused a 30cm tsunami. But the amount of debris that landed in the sea stopped the wave from growing enough for it to be a threat.
Eugenio Privitera, director at a department of the National Institute of Geophysics said: ‘Stromboli is a volcano that is persistently active.
‘This means there is a constant risk, not only due to the explosive activity of the craters but also the likelihood that it may cause a tsunami.’
But he concluded saying the island is nonetheless ‘beautiful. Let’s enjoy it while always bearing in mind that the risk of eruption’.
Tourists said they were ‘terrified’ at the sound of the boom and reported a string of minor eruptions before the ‘giant’ one took place. Witnesses shared shocking footage of the volcano which is one of the most active in the world and has been regularly been erupting since 1932. They said the eruption has left with a ‘metallic taste in our mouths’, as rocks, sand, ash and debris were scattered by the explosion.
No casualties have been reported but nearby beaches were evacuated as a precaution.
One video on Twitter showed a dinghy boat at the foot of the volcano desperately trying to escape the incoming plumes of smoke and ashes. Residents said the ba was louder than the eruption which led to the death of 35-year-old hiker Massimo Imesi in July.
Small fires were scattered around the Ginostra del Vulcano area and engulfed Mr Imesi, 35, from Milazzo, but his friend managed to survive. According to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, today’s eruption also caused a 30cm tsunami. But the amount of debris that landed in the sea stopped the wave from growing enough for it to be a threat.
Eugenio Privitera, director at a department of the National Institute of Geophysics said: ‘Stromboli is a volcano that is persistently active.
‘This means there is a constant risk, not only due to the explosive activity of the craters but also the likelihood that it may cause a tsunami.’
But he concluded saying the island is nonetheless ‘beautiful. Let’s enjoy it while always bearing in mind that the risk of eruption’.
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