Mount Etna on Italy's Sicily Island experienced a violent eruption on the 2nd, with massive amounts of high-temperature gases, volcanic ash, and lava spewed into the air, reaching heights of several kilometers. Videos from the scene show tourists fleeing in panic, prompting the Sicily Civil Defense to issue warnings for all flights to avoid the area around the volcano.

According to reports, the eruption forced tourists to evacuate as gases, ash, and rocks erupted significantly. Social media footage shows visitors hurriedly descending the mountain, with a travel agency reporting that 40 tourists were in attendance at the time of the eruption. The explosion's sound could be heard in towns 40 to 50 kilometers away.

Mount Etna is a popular tourist destination in Sicily, attracting about 1.5 million visitors each year, many of whom hike up to the summit. Although it is considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world, this is the most intense eruption since 2014, according to data from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).