Italy's Mount Etna volcano erupts, spews ash on Catania, halts flights

Heavy cloud around the volcano's summit made it impossible to see the eruptions, the National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology said.

Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, belched smoke and ashes in a new eruption on Sunday, forcing the closure of a nearby airport in Sicily, Italy.

Lava flows downhill as Mount Etna erupts, as seen from Pizzi Deneri on the north side of volcano, on the island of Sicily, in Catania, (File Photo)(REUTERS)

"Due to the eruptive activity of Etna and copious amounts of volcanic ash on the airport surfaces, flight operations are suspended until safety conditions are restored," Catania airport said in a statement.

Loud rumbles could be heard in the region from early Sunday, the Repubblica daily said.

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But heavy cloud around the volcano's summit made it impossible to see the eruptions, the National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology said.

At 3,324 metres (nearly 11,000 feet), Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has erupted frequently in the past 500,000 years.

Around 10 million passengers last year transited through Catania International Airport, which services the eastern part of Sicily, one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.