Volcano Eruption in Italy on July 03 2019 04:57 PM (UTC).
A volcano on the island of Stromboli has erupted, throwing ash high into the sky, with tourists reportedly throwing themselves into the sea in panic. Italy's ANSA newsagency reported that tourists, frightened by the unexpected explosion on the small Mediterranean island, had thrown themselves into the sea. It said two new lava spouts are creeping down the volcano on the famed island. The volcano was also shooting out red-hot rocks called lapilli, local sources said. One eyewitness added: "A huge column of dense black smoke is coming out of the crater." Another said: "There was a powerful explosion. We heard a bang, then a column of smoke and lapilli fell onto Ginostra, and flames on the slopes of the volcano". Fires have broken out across the island, according to fire services and forest rangers.
One concerned Twitter user posted: "Major #eruption on #Stromboli sudden and major, I really hope everyone is ok the whole mountain just blew up a few seconds ago." Another added: "Tourists diving into the sea to avoid lava after Stromboli eruption. "Sudden and violent. It's not a particularly active volcano, so that's a surprise." Michela Favorito, who works in a hotel near Fico Grande, on the east side of the island, said: "We saw the explosion from the hotel. There was a loud roar. "We plugged our ears and after this a cloud of ash swept over us. "The whole sky is full of ash, a fairly large cloud." Fiona Carter, a British tourist on the island of Panarea, some 27 km (17 miles) from Stromboli, heard the blast. She said: "We turned around to see a mushroom cloud coming from Stromboli. Everyone was in shock. Then red hot lava started running down the mountain towards the little village of Ginostra. "The cloud got bigger, white and grey. It enveloped Ginostra and now the cloud has covered Stromboli entirely. Several boats set off for Stromboli."
Fires were reported on the western side of the island and it was not immediately clear if there were any injuries. Stefano Branca, a vulcanologist with the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV), said there had been a "paroxysmal eruption" on the island, when high-pressure magma explodes from a shallow, underground reservoir. " He added: "These are events of great intensity and quite rare." Footage uploaded by Skyline Webcams showed large plumes of ash rising into the air. Stromboli, one of the eight Aeolian Islands, has erupted many times and is constantly active, often visible from many points on the island and from the surrounding sea. As a result, it is known as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean". The island was the setting for a 1950 movie starring Ingrid Bergman and, with other islands in the Aeolian archipelago, has become a favourite location in recent decades for holiday homes for the rich and famous.
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/database/index.php?pageid=event_summary&edis_id=VE-20190703-68583-ITA
