Italy's Mount Etna erupts, forcing airport closure

Italy's Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted Sunday, forcing the nearby airport to a standstill after the runways become covered in ash. The volcano, located on the eastern coast of Sicily near the city of Catania, began spewing ash Sunday morning, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) told The Associated Press. The eruption did not come as much of a surprise, as volcanic activity had been reported for days. It caused ash to fall throughout Catania and nearby settlements, local officials said, and the Catania Airport tweeted it would be closed "until normal safety conditions are restored." Mount Etna is the tallest volcano in Europe, and has been known to erupt multiple times per year; the last major event was in 1992. A previous eruption of Etna in 2021 lasted several weeks.