Enormous eruption on Italy’s Mount Etna volcano leaves tourists running for their lives

An enormous eruption at Mount Etna has sent tourists scrambling for safety after a towering plume of gas, ash and rock shot several kilometres into the sky.

It has been reported that 40 people were on a guided tour of the Sicilian volcano at the time of the eruption.

“It arrived all at once, an immense smoke, immense, immense roar,” Giuseppe Panfallo, a guide with Go Etna, told CNN.

Footage shared on social media captures the dramatic moment tourists start to run for their lives.

While some terrified tourists fled to safety, others stopped on the way down to film the phenomenon unfolding.

The eruption, which began on early Monday morning (local time), unleashed explosions that could be heard as far away as Taormina (50km away) and Catania (40km away).

One eyewitness described the eruption to CNN as a “sudden, powerful boom.”

“It was a dramatic moment, but fortunately short-lived,” hiking guide Alessio Zocco, said.

“Mount Etna is a majestic and unpredictable force of nature. It commands respect, but it also offers one of the most powerful and awe-inspiring experiences you can witness,” added Mr Zocco.

“With knowledge, preparation, and humility, it’s possible to explore this landscape safely and meaningfully.”

The Sicilian Civil Protection Agency is contacting all Mount Etna tour operators who were guiding tourist groups at the time of the eruption to ensure everyone is accounted for.

The volcano on the Italian island is a popular tourist destination visited by 1.5 million people a year.

The last time Mount Etna erupted at this magnitude was in 2014.