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Mount Etna lights up the sky, seen from Rocca Della Valle in Sicily. Etna Walk/ Marco Restivo/ Reuters
Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania have been halted after an eruption from Mount Etna, local authorities said, bringing fresh travel woe to the crisis-plagued Italian airport.
"Because of an eruption at Etna and falling ash, flights are suspended until 8pm (1800 GMT)," the airport said on its website. Earlier on Monday, it had said departures and arrivals had been halted until just 1pm local time.
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Catania's Mayor Enrico Trantino has also prohibited the use of motorcycles and bicycles for the next 48 hours, "because several areas are covered with a layer of volcanic ash", city hall said on its website. Cars have also been ordered to drive no faster than 30 kilometers per hour due to the skiddy conditions.
The ash can quickly become slippery on roads and increase the risk of accidents. At 3,324 meters (nearly 11,000 feet), Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has erupted frequently.
Most recently, Catania airport was closed for a day on May 21 due to the volcano but the last major eruption was in 1992. Around 10 million passengers last year transited through the airport, which serves the eastern part of Sicily.
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Copyright © 2023 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466