Mount Etna guides protest new safety rules

Guides at Mount Etna have staged a strike and demonstration after Catania authorities restricted excursions to view lava flows; Italy's volcanology institute said the eruption is ongoing but lava fronts are cooling and not advancing.

Guides who lead tourists to Mount Etna have protested new safety restrictions imposed by Catania authorities after a series of eruptions that began on Dec. 24. Authorities have suspended or limited excursions to view lava flows and tightened rules on when and how tours may operate. The measures include limits on proximity and group size, which guides say reduce their professional role. Volcanology officials reported the eruption is ongoing but that lava fronts are cooling and are not advancing toward residential areas. Reported facts: - Catania authorities suspended or restricted guided excursions following recent eruptions. - New rules allow visits only until dusk, keep visitors at least 200 meters from lava flows, and enforce a 10-person limit per group, with drones used to monitor compliance. - Dozens of guides demonstrated and began a strike, saying the measures nullify their professional function. - Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology reported the eruption is ongoing but that lava fronts are cooling and not advancing. - Guides are expected to continue the strike in the coming days and hope to reach a compromise with authorities. Summary: The restrictions have reduced guided access to lava viewing and prompted the first strike by guides in decades. The immediate outlook centers on talks between guides and local authorities, with the guides expected to continue their strike in the near term.