Mount Etna, an active volcano in Sicily, Italy, erupted again on Monday, sending up a miles-tall plume of ash and smoke that authorities said would not pose a threat to people.
The eruption lasted into the afternoon. The danger area was limited to the volcano's summit, which was closed to visitors. Seismic activity associated with the eruption caused some shaking in nearby towns and the Catania airport briefly upped its alert level due to the eruption.
Video showed tourists hiking on the mountain running for safety. All were later confirmed to have been accounted for and evacuated, officials said.
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The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said part of the volcanic caldera collapsed, which triggered a new lava eruption and the ensuing cloud of ash. The volcano, which is one of the most active of its kind in the world, has erupted more than a dozen times in recent months.
Monday's eruption sent ash more than 20,000 feet high, experts said. It is the most significant eruption since 2014.
