Neither the snow cold nor the warnings of the authorities have deterred the thousands of tourists who have climbed since last weekend. The volcano – the highest and most active in Europe – erupted last week, which has illuminated the night sky of the island with explosions and has produced molten red lava rivers that travels between snow to accessible areas for vacationers . Visitors have attended shoes, light clothes and even miniskirts to get a close view, despite the risk it implies for their lives, rescuers say.
“We had a number of people who lost and could not find their return for the fog that suddenly appeared. Spending one night in these temperatures can be very risky, ”said Leonardo La Pica, the regional president of the Alpine Sicilian rescue service. In a conversation with the radio24 station, the Pica confirmed that the lava languages have descended up to 1,850 meters above sea level, where many tourists usually ski in the snow that covers the mountain.
The authorities have warned that the main risk that tourists face when approaching the eruption is that they can occur by the contact of the lava with the snow. The municipalities of Adrano and Biancavilla have banned that people approach less than 500 meters from the lava rivers. However, thousands have ventured, even during the night, when volcano flaress are more scenic.
In the same vein, Alessandro Bella, delegate of the Alpine rescue and Sicilian spelex for ETNA, assured Thursday to Corriere della Sera that people climb the mountain with “a clothing definitely not adequate for a snowy and erupting Etna.” Bella has stressed that those who fail to comply with the rules will be denounced to the police.
