Tourist trips scrapped as Italy volcano erupts

Stromboli, an island volcano north of Sicily, starting erupting on Wednesday afternoon, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said.

Tourist trips have been cancelled as the volcano remains "too active", a spokesperson for the Eolnet agency for the Aeolian Islands told The Local. Excursions may resume on Monday, depending on how the eruption plays out over the weekend.

Stromboli erupting, awestruck doesn't quite do it justice. So close I could feel the heat. pic.twitter.com/Da7JVK579U

— Jonas Wiesand (@jonaswiesand) August 8, 2014

The INGV said the start of the fiery spectacle “was accompanied by a series of large landslides of hot material,” while lava flowed from the crater.

The volcano continued to rumble overnight, before a fresh eruption began early on Thursday.

El volcà #Stromboli, a les illes Eòlies, al nord de Sicília, ara mateix en erupció. Rius de lava desemboquen al mar. pic.twitter.com/pOhCWlUUKj

— Alba Sidera (@albasidera) August 8, 2014

Such a series of eruptions are “the most significant in recent years,” INGV said, which followed numerous lava flows since mid-June.

The mayor of nearby Lipari island, Marco Giorgianni, described the situation as “certainly not normal”.

“But it is constantly monitored by the administration, the law enforcement and civil protection agencies,” he was quoted in Ansa as saying.