PEDARA, Sicily (AP) – Residents and municipal teams worked Wednesday to clean up a Sicilian village near Mount Etna after Europe’s most active volcano dumped lava, ash and volcanic rocks.
The eruption, which featured spectacular bursts of bursting lava, forced the temporary closure of Sicily’s Sicilian airport, a frequent occurrence when Etna is in an active phase.
As Tuesday’s volcanic activity was largely expected, the areas around the crater were secured and no injuries or deaths were reported. But nearby residents said the eruption was unusual in that large pieces of volcanic rocks carpeted the area, not just ash.
“It was a rain of stones. Something I have never seen in my whole life “, said Letizia Olivieri, a resident of Pedara.
The mayor of Pedara, Alfio Cristaudo, declared that the village is in an emergency regime due to the extension of the eruption.
“The whole territory of Pedara and all the streets are covered with volcanic ash and lapel,” or volcanic stones, he said.
Residents and local teams cleaned the streets, yards and cars, putting the ashes on and waiting for municipal collectors to take it. Driving motorcycles and scooters was banned, and the speed limit for cars was reduced to limit the further spread of ash.
Pedara resident Massimiliano Formica said he was home on Tuesday afternoon when he heard what he thought was the beginning of a rainstorm. But when he looked outside, he saw that “it was raining in a strange way. I went out and saw the ground falling. Also large stones. ”
Etna is a popular tourist destination, and its eruptions, especially when seen at night, are spectacular to watch.