Sicily's Mount Etna erupts, closing Catania airport

Sicily's Mount Etna erupts, closing Catania airport

NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT ITALY

Sicily's Catania Airport has been forced to cancel all flights as a gush of volcanic lava and smoke erupted from nearby Mount Etna. Officials said ash particles had covered planes and the runways.

An eruption of Sicily's Mount Etna sent ash and lava gases high into the sky on Thursday and forced nearby Catania airport to cancel all flights in and out.

Officials said the runaway had been rendered unusable by ash particles that had settled on the airfield.

"Due to the eruptive activity of Mount Etna and the simultaneous emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, [the] runway is unusable due to a significant fall of volcanic ash on the airfield, and therefore, both arrivals and departures have been suspended," the airport officials said.

"Flight operations will resume once the flight infrastructure conditions are restored." 

The airport also said it was unclear when the airport would once again be fully operational.

"Passengers are therefore urged not to go to the airport without first checking the status of their flight with the airline."

Houses and streets around Catania were covered in dark gray dust.

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