On the 2nd of this month, Italy's Mount Etna on the island of Sicily erupted violently, spewing vast amounts of high-temperature gases, ash, and lava, reaching heights of several kilometers.

Videos from the scene show many tourists fleeing in panic, creating a dangerously chaotic scene. The Sicilian Civil Protection Agency issued a warning for all flights to avoid the area.

According to CNN, the Italian government stated that the eruption forced tourists to evacuate. Footage on social media showed visitors hastily descending the mountain. A travel agency reported that they had 40 tourists present at the time of the eruption.

Eyewitnesses noted that the explosion sounds could be heard from 40 to 50 kilometers away starting from the evening.

While Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, it has not seen such a dramatic eruption since 2014.

The Italian Observatory indicated that the intensity of the explosions is still increasing, with small amounts of lava and flames also erupting from the mountain. Observations show that parts of the mountain have experienced spectacular lava flows during previous eruptions in recent months.

As of now, both Catania and Palermo airports on Sicily remain operational, as the wind is blowing the ash away from them.