Etna quakes add to volcano fears

A string of earthquakes today shook the area around the erupting Mount Etna volcano, sending panicked villagers tripping and falling as they ran from their homes and forcing the evacuation of some 1,000 people from buildings rocked by the tremors.

In one small town, Santa Venerina, at the foot of the volcano, several people were injured as they dashed into the streets in panic.

Civil Defence headquarters in Rome said the biggest quake had a preliminary reading of 4.4.

Authorities evacuated 1,000 people from homes as a precaution until the buildings could be checked out for possible structural damage. They were given refuge in tents and hotels.

Downpours of ash and streams of lava from the volcano forced authorities to keep Catania’s airport closed for a third day and order the shutdown of schools in Catania and several nearby towns.

But officials said lava and ash activity on the volcano had slackened since the volcano erupted on Sunday.

Lava flowed more than halfway down the sides of the 11,000 foot high mountain, Europe’s most active volcano.

In 1669, a huge eruption destroyed Catania, on Sicily’s eastern coast. Etna’s last major eruption was in 1992.

Citrus growers feared the blanket of ash had damaged orange and lemon trees on the slope, and herders had to scramble to find forage for cattle on the ash-covered fields.