Wild and Extremely Dangerous Tourism: Thousands Flock to Sicily to Witness Mount Etna Eruption, Blocking Emergency Services
Over the past few days, thousands of tourists have been flocking to the Italian island of Sicily to watch the spectacular eruptions of Mount Etna up close. However, some people are blocking the streets due to lack of organisation and preventing even the rescue services from reaching those in need of help. This was reported by local authorities.
The impressive lava flow that has been moving down the south-western slope of Mount Etna in the middle of the snow for several days now has attracted hundreds of people. They are either just curious, tourists or photographers. But on Sunday, there were too many of them.
The head of Sicily's regional civil protection, Salvo Cochina, called the recent tourism on Etna ‘wild’ and ‘extremely dangerous’. He warned that day-trippers, attracted by the exceptional views, were parking their cars in narrow streets, hindering rescue vehicles.
On Sunday evening, Cochin reported that the flood of people had created a ‘wild scene with cars crowding the narrow roads, with traffic coming to a standstill ... and rescue vehicles unable to get through’. He added: ‘As darkness falls, the situation becomes extremely dangerous, with a growing risk of people falling and drowning in the snow.’
However, the warning did not work. During a tour on Monday, eight people got lost, including two minors. They were found only a few hours later, prompting the fire department to be called. Earlier, on Sunday, a 48-year-old man suffered a broken foot in a fall, and four others went missing last night.
Firefighters were called in to help locals and control the flow of tourists. They redirected travellers from Sicily and beyond through crowded streets, while mayors of towns on the volcano's slopes ordered visitors to stay at least 500 metres away from the lava. Despite these warnings, tourists almost completely ignored the authorities.
