Hikers have been filmed venturing dangerously close to Mount Etna, as red-hot lava spews from Europe's most active volcano.
Footage shows hikers gathering around the volcano, watching and posing during its latest ongoing eruption, which began on 6 August.
Experts noting an unusual amount of ash is being spewed out, and flights at Sicily’s primary airport, Catania, have been suspended over the past week.
“Volcanic ash can be a great risk for aircraft," explained Boris Behncke, a researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology’s Etna Observatory. The ash can damage aircraft systems and cause jet engines to fail.
