Stromboli, one of the eight Aeolian Islands located in the volcanic arc north of Sicily has been in a continuous eruptive phase for decades. The volcano popularly known as "the lighthouse of the Mediterranean" is the source of frequent and bright eruptions at night. Strombolian eruptions are characterized by constant spurts of lava, along with emissions of gas, ash, and volcanic bombs.
An eruption last Wednesday, released the trapped magma in a powerful explosion and enveloped the popular tourist destination in ash. Streams of lava has been creeping down the volcano&rsquos slopes and the crater is steadily spewing out molten rocks due to which firefighters are tackling multiple blazes across the island.
As reported by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, two primary eruptions took place around 446 pm and were preceded by lava spills. About 100 people have been evacuated from this tiny Italian island while 320 water loads have been dropped in hope of controlling the fires. Unfortunately, Sicilian hiker, Massimo Imbesi, died as he was caught in the violent flow of hot rocks and fumes during a walk. Many others were injured.
Tourists on Stromboli&rsquos beaches jumped into the sea and residents of the village of Ginsotra barricaded themselves in their homes for safety. Social media is flooded with pictures of Stromboli engulfed in plumes of smoke, visible from faraway islands.