Awesome Etna's rain of fire: Snow-covered volcano spews blood-red molten lava into the air




Belching lava and black smoke into the sky, the latest eruption of Mount Etna provides an awesome display of nature's power.

The highest active volcano in Europe has blown its top three times in the past month alone, depositing a surface of black ash on its snowy higher slopes.

Yet the four spectators pictured here seem happy to risk their lives to gain the closest of views. And so far the eruption has not resulted in any fatalities.

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Eruption: Thick black smoke, lava and ash rise from Mount Etna during the latest eruption from the volcano in Sicily

Explosion: The volcano has erupted 24 times since January 2011 but no one has been killed because the lava moves so slowly

Standing nearly 11,000ft high, Etna regularly spews lava on to the plains below. However a quarter of Sicily's population take the risk of living on its slopes, their crops and vines thriving in the rich volcanic soil.

Tunnels and ditches have been dug to protect their villages from the lava flow.

The volcano has erupted three times in the last month alone close to the Zafferana Etnea village.

The crater on the south-east of the volcano, which formed in 1971, has been particularly active in the last few years.

In the past ash from the volcano has closed Catania International Airport. However, at the moment it is still open.

Cloud: Smoke and lava from the snow-capped mount Etna can be seen not far from Zafferana Etnea village in Sicily

Two years ago the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland caused flight chaos across Europe as dust spread into British airspace.

Airlines had to cancel hundreds of services because of ash particles in the atmosphere which can be dangerous for planes.



Explosion: Lava bursts out of the south-eastern crater of the volcano which was formed in 1971