Tourists flee Italian island of Stromboli as volcano erupts leaving one dead
The Italian island Stromboli was hit by violent eruptions Wednesday causing beach tourists to take to the sea. One person is reported dead. The famed island saw two new lava spouts creeping down its volcano, according to Ansa.
Red-hot rocks called lapilli are being shot out of the volcano the agency said and are setting fires all around according to local sources. "A huge column of dense black smoke is coming out of the crater," a witness said.
The male victim was hiking and was reportedly hit by a stone according to the BBC. Several others were injured, it was reported. This is the most active volcano on earth and has been in a state of regular eruptions since 1932. The 35-year-old man was from Sicily and his Brazilian friend was discovered dehydrated and in a state of shock. The Navy has been deployed to help with a mass evacuation, with latest reports saying 70 people have been evacuated so far.
Another said "there was a powerful explosion. We heard a bang, then a column of smoke and lapilli fell onto Ginostra, and flames on the slopes of the volcano". Fire services and forest rangers confirmed there were fires all over the island.
"We saw the explosion from the hotel. There was a loud roar," Michela Favorito, a hotel worker on the island, told Reuters news agency. "We plugged our ears and after this a cloud of ash swept over us. The whole sky is full of ash, a fairly large cloud," he added.