By David E. Hubler
Contributor, EDM Digest
Italy’s Mount Etna volcano erupted Thursday for the second time in three weeks. Lava bursts reached almost 650 feet in height.
At least 10 people were injured, including scientists and tourists. Six people were hospitalized, mostly with head injuries. None of the injuries was listed as grave, the Associated Press reported.
The president of the Italian Alpine Club chapter in Catania, Umberto Marino, was traveling to the volcano in a snowcat when injured people started running in his direction.
“The material thrown into the air fell back down, striking the heads and bodies of people who were closest,” Marino told the Catania Today website, according to the AP.
A BBC TV crew on location was shaken but received only minor injuries, cuts and burns.
The BBC’s global science reporter, Rebecca Morelle, tweeted, “Lava flow mixed with steam – caused huge explosion – group pelted with boiling rocks and steam.”
In another tweet, Morelle wrote: “Running down a mountain pelted by rocks, dodging burning boulders and boiling steam – not an experience I ever ever want to repeat.”
Etna last erupted on February 27, 2017. Local authorities reported there were no injuries or danger to nearby towns.
Mount Etna, which is located on the island of Sicily, is one of the world’s oldest and most active volcanoes. The first recorded observation of a Mount Etna eruption was written by Greek historian Diodorus Siculus in 425 B.C.
About the Author
David E. Hubler brings a variety of government, journalism and teaching experience to his position as a Quality Assurance Editor at APUS. David’s professional background includes serving as a senior editor at CIA and the Voice of America. He has also been a managing editor for several business-to-business and business-to-government publishing companies. David has taught high school English in Connecticut and at Northern Virginia Community College. He has a master’s degree for Teachers of English from the University of New Hampshire and a B.A. in English from New York University. David’s 2015 book, “The Nats and the Grays, How Baseball in the Nation’s Capital Survived WWII and Changed the Game Forever,” has just been published in paperback by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
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