Italy volcano erupts, disrupting flights

Europe's biggest active volcano, Mount Etna, erupted early Saturday with fiery explosions and lava flows, the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said (INGV).

A heavy emission of ash into the sky forced the closure of two airports, Fontanarossa and Comiso in Sicily's second-biggest city of Catania. They partially reopened early Saturday.

Airport authorities said flights had returned to normal at 11 a.m. local time (0900 UTC), but stressed that there may still be disruptions.

According to the INGV, the lava was spurting from one of the craters on the volcano's desert-like southeastern face, and then traveling around 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) down a barren escarpment called the Valle del Bove (Ox Valley).

The activity followed "lively spattering" recorded by the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) in early June and a previous eruption in December last year.

At 3,300 meters (10,826 feet), Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe.