Italy: Mount Etna erupts

Mount Etna, located on the island of Sicily, Italy, and one of the world's most famous volcanoes, erupted early Monday morning local time.

Italian authorities pinpointed the eruption in the Southeast Crater, one of Etna's most active in recent years.

It was the Catania Observatory of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV)—which is in charge of monitoring Etna's activity—that gave notice of the eruption.

Images from surveillance cameras showed a pyroclastic flow that was probably produced by "the collapse of material from the northern flank of the southeastern crater" of the mountain, the institute said.

A pyroclastic flow, which is extremely dangerous, occurs when volcanic rock, ash and hot gases emerge from volcanoes.

The explosive activity "turned into a fountain of lava," said the INGV. The ash plume dissipated in the afternoon, according to the same source.

The initial red alert issued by INGV to aviation authorities, which estimated the height of the volcanic cloud at 4 miles, was downgraded to orange.

Catania Airport on the island remained operational, AFP reported.

Likewise, the president of the region of Sicily, Renato Schifani, said he had been assured by experts that there was "no danger to the population" as the flow did not pass through Lion Valley, an area frequented by tourists.

Impressive images of the eruption

In a video that went viral on social media, a group of hikers on Mt. Etna were seen running to flee from the eruption.

Another video shows the plume of smoke of the eruption from the city of Catania.

Throughout history there have been several eruptions of Mt. Etna. The most destructive on record occurred on March 8, 1669, when an estimated 20,000 people died. The latest was recorded in July last year.