CATANIA, Sicily – Flights serving the jap Sicilian metropolis of Catania had been halted on Monday after an eruption from close by Mount Etna, native authorities stated, bringing recent journey woe to the crisis-plagued Italian airport.
The 3,330 meter (10,925 ft) excessive volcano burst into motion in a single day, firing lava and ash excessive over the Mediterranean island. The lava circulation subsided earlier than daybreak, however ash was nonetheless coming from one of many craters.
Flights to and from Catania, a preferred vacationer vacation spot, will stay suspended till 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Tuesday morning, the airport operator stated in an announcement, dashing hopes they might resume on Monday night time.
Passengers had been suggested to verify with airways earlier than heading to the airport on Tuesday.
Incoming flights had been diverted to different airports on Sicily on Monday. It is the height of the summer time vacation season in Italy the place Tuesday is a public vacation.
Catania Mayor Enrico Trantino banned using bikes and bicycles within the metropolis for the subsequent 48 hours, as a result of many streets had been coated in ash, and ordered vehicles to drive no quicker than 30 kph (19 mph) as a result of skiddy situations.
The newest cancellations at Catania airport, which attracts extra arrivals than the island’s capital, Palermo, got here a month after a fireplace at a terminal constructing led to weeks of disruptions for passengers.
The final main eruption of Etna was in 1992. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
