Umbrellas protect Sicilians from Etna’s ash

Sicilians were using umbrellas today to protect themselves from the ash raining down from Mount Etna.

The airport at Catania was closed because of the heavy ash fall.

Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, has been acting up since last week and officials in Catania say they may be forced to declare a state of emergency.

Civil defence teams have so far managed to keep the lava from reaching towns on the slopes by building embankments. Helicopters have doused the hot lava with water.

The mountain has put on a spectacular display of spewing glowing red lava and clouds of black smoke for days. Tourism has fallen off and crops have been damaged.

The town closest to the lava flow is Nicolosi, but officials say computer simulations indicate the lava should miss it. The lava is moving slowly enough to allow time for an evacuation if necessary.

The volcano springs to life every few months. Its last major eruption was in 1992.