Mount Etna erupts: The Sicilian volcano's most devasting past eruptions as disruption continues

An eruption overnight at Europe's most active volcano is causing major travel disruption as ash plumes across the sky. Mount Etna in eastern Sicily has once again erupted and those due to fly in or out of Sicily's Catania airport are now facing diversions or cancellations.

The volcano is known to frequently erupt and back in March 2021, the volcano erupted 11 times in three weeks. Its last major eruption was more than 30 years ago.

The eruption comes at a time when travel disruption was already an issue for Siciliy. Catania airport was hit by a fire at a terminal building only a matter of weeks ago.

The eruption has led to a ban on motorcycles and bicycles being used due to the ash and cars also cannot be driven faster than 30 kph due to ash causing poor grip on roads.

On Monday morning (August 14), authorities have said that while lava flow has now subsided, ash is still coming out of one of the volcano's craters.

NationalWorld takes a look back at Mount Etna's deadliest eruptions over the years and the deaths the volcano has claimed

Major Eruptions

Mount Etna has been active for approximately the last 2.6 million years and is considered to be in an almost constant state of activity.

Arguably the most famous eruption of Mount Etna dates back to 1669. This was Etna's most destructive eruption since the Middle Ages.

While fatalities here remain heavily disputed, it is said that approximately 14 villages and towns were destroyed by the volcano's lava flows or by related earthquakes. Surrounding olive groves, orchards, and vineyards were also destroyed.

Since 1750, seven of the eruptions seen at Mount Etna have had a duration of more than five years.

In 1971, an eruption led to the Etna Observatory being buried and another eruption in 1987 led to the deaths of two tourists near the summit.

The 1991-1993 'flank eruption' at Etna was also seen as significant as the town of Zafferana was threatened by lava flow that was successfully diverted. The lava was forced into artificial channels after explosives were used to set the flow on a new path.

During the g* summit in Genoa, Italy, in 2001, another eruption received widespread coverage due to the disruption it caused at this time. The continued activity led to an eruption the following year that could be viewed from space.

Fast forward to 2017 and another eruption injured a BBC News TV crew as well as several other people.

2021 was also a significant year of volcanic activity at Etna as from February, the volcano erupted 11 times in three weeks which caused 10 km of ash clouds and the closure of Sicilian airports.

Deaths

While Mount Etna has been active for millions of years and countless eruptions have been recorded, many of these have not been life-threatening or hugely damaging.

As a result, only 77 deaths have ever been confirmed as directly linked to the volcano.