11-23-13 Mount Etna erupts, showers volcanic ash on towns

Mount Etna erupts, showers volcanic ash on towns

Big Story
Sat, 23 Nov 2013 12:26 CST

© AP Photo/Carmelo Imbesi
Smoke billows from the Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, Sicily, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013.

Milan - Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, has erupted again, showering volcanic ash on towns dotting the mountain's slopes and nearby Taormina.

The eruption Saturday did not force any evacuations, but a highway was closed for half an hour as a precaution. Authorities also briefly closed two of four air corridors serving the nearby Catania airport but air traffic was not interrupted.

Etna erupts occasionally. Its last major eruption occurred in 1992.