Mount Etna Erupts And Shoots Lava Into The Sky

Mount Etna has erupted, shooting lava and ash into the sky. Watch footage here:

The volcano in Sicily, Italy - which is the most active in Europe - sent huge clouds of ash drifting across its surroundings as streams of lava shot from it.

While it might look like a fiery and fearsome sight, there have been no reports of injuries or damage, with the head of the INGV National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology Stefano Branco telling news agency AGI that 'we've seen worse' and it's 'not at all worrying'.

Catania airport has been closed as a precaution though, and emergency services said they were monitoring the situation in three villages at the foot of the volcano - Linguaglossa, Fornazzo and Milo.

To you and I, the sight may seem pretty alarming, but the volcano has been erupting for centuries and has been particularly active in recent decades.

Of course, eruptions can be extremely dangerous, and in 1669 a series of eruptions claimed 20,000 lives; but locals try to go about their lives despite the looming threat.

It's basically like a noisy and temperamental neighbour that you just need to keep an eye on.

Meanwhile, in Kazakhstan, a new volcano has emerged. That might sounds like an oxymoron, but hear me out - it's an 'ice volcano'.

Standing at 45 feet tall, the amazing structure is the result of an underground spring in the country's Almaty region, between the villages of Kegan and Shrganak, around four hours away from the capital city of Nur-Sultan.

It was formed by water that sprouted out from the ground and instantly froze.

It is the second to have been spotted, with both tourists and locals flocking to see the volcano for themselves.

However, locals believe it's the first that continuously sprays water out from the top, giving it its volcanic appearance.

Speaking about the impressive spectacle, a resident said: "In general, this is artesian water that gushes out of the ground. In summer everything blooms here with greenery.

"And with the arrival of winter, on the eve of the New Year, it [the iceberg] increases to 14 meters and creates a beautiful location for great shots. It happened that my friends and I came to the 'iceberg' to celebrate the New Year."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: World News, Volcano, Italy

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey