Sicily's Mount Etna erupts as air traffic alert issued

Rome (dpa)

Mount Etna, the volcano on the Italian island of Sicily, has erupted again, the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said on Monday.

The institute reported strong ash emissions from the volcano's summit craters, though the height of the plume could not be estimated on Monday evening.

Authorities raised the highest alert level for air traffic. Catania's international airport remained open for now.

Etna, which rises to more than 3,300 metres, is Europe's largest active volcano. It erupts regularly and is under constant monitoring.