Etna belched out another lava plume and a 6-kilometre-high column of ashy smoke in the latest of a string of spectacular eruptions from Europe’s tallest active volcano.

The iconic volcano spewed ash and lapilli into the towering column. The ash was scattered onto nearby Catania but the eastern Sicilian city’s airport"s air space was not closed, as it has been for some recent eruptions.

The volcano also emitted a fresh lava flow.