Fountains of fiery lava spew from Mount Etna in breathtaking overnight show

Mount Etna in Sicily erupted overnight, spewing fountains of fiery orange lava that lit up the night sky in a breathtaking spectacle of immense natural power.

Europe’s largest active volcano produced an eruptive column reaching about 11 kilometres above sea level.

Ash and debris rained down onto towns on the southern slopes of the volcano, according to the Catania Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology.

Etna has been very active in recent months. It is Italy’s largest active volcano, alongside Stromboli on the homonymous Sicilian island and Mt Vesuvius near the southern city of Naples.