Landslides close off Italian volcanic island
The tiny volcanic island of Stromboli in southern Italy was closed off to tourists today after a landslide caused several injuries.
The volcano was still spewing lava and thick ash today, and officials said they needed time to assess the risks for the population.
“We don’t want any tourists or onlookers in the area while the seismic activity is still going on,” said Mariano Bruno, mayor of the nearby island of Lipari, which oversees Stromboli.
The island’s few hundred residents were allowed to stay, said Luca Spoletini of the Civil Defence Department. But about 140 had already decided to leave the island.
Gas burst from the crater of the volcano yesterday, causing a landslide, while a wave of water gushed into the tiny settlement of Ginostra, at the foot of the mountain.
Scores of tourists left the island in a panic, while many residents fled their homes. One man jumped from a second-floor window with his daughter, and was then taken to hospital. The man broke his foot, while his daughter was unharmed. Another five people suffered minor injuries.
Many boats and buildings along the coast were also damaged.
Stromboli, a cone-shaped island that sits 40 miles north of Sicily, is noted for frequent minor eruptions, and attracts tourists keen to see the flow of lava inching down the side of the volcano. It is part of the Aeolian archipelago.
Stromboli is not the only active volcano in southern Italy, with Mt Etna in Sicily coming to life every few months. Etna’s most recent eruption began in October.
