Terrifying Footage Shows Tourists Fleeing Epic Volcanic Eruption

Running Down That Hill

A terrifying video that's making its rounds on social media shows dozens of tourists fleeing a massive volcano eruption by running down an ash-covered hill.

The footage was recorded on the hills next to Mount Etna on the island of Sicily, which violently erupted on Monday morning.

"Stop the boat!" one man can be heard shouting in the clip. "Come on!"

At around the forty-second mark, a massive cloud can be seen engulfing the surrounding hillside in a dark shadow.

"We were nearly grazed, look at this cloud here," a tourist said in a separate video obtained by CNN. "We were two steps away and thank goodness we have a responsible guide with us."

"It arrived all at once, an immense smoke, immense, immense roar," he added.

The volcano is one of the world's most active, making eruptions not uncommon. For instance, a powerful eruption in February caused a nearby airport to divert dozens of flights. However, the magnitude of this week's event hasn't been observed since 2014, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory.

 

Manic Volcanic

Fortunately, as the BBC reports, damage or injury as a result of its frequent eruptions are extremely rare. And according to CNN, all tourists were evacuated safely.

Nonetheless, footage of the eruption is mesmerizing. Etna blew a dark cloud of gas and rock hundreds of feet into the air, showering the nearby villages with a thick layer of ash.

According to the BBC, experts suggest the volcano's crater may have partially collapsed, allowing a sludge of material to flow down its side.

Monday's eruption was the result of gas bubbles within the volcano's magma chamber bursting suddenly, causing material to be shot high into the sky. That makes them especially dangerous for nearby aircraft.

Despite the terrifying possibility of being caught by surprise by an erupting volcano, hikers are unlikely to give up on an experience of a lifetime anytime soon.

"Mount Etna is a majestic and unpredictable force of nature," hiking guide Alessio Zocco told CNN. "It commands respect, but it also offers one of the most powerful and awe-inspiring experiences you can witness."

"With knowledge, preparation, and humility, it’s possible to explore this landscape safely and meaningfully," he added.

More on volcanoes: Scientists Say Something Is Corking the Yellowstone Supervolcano