• Eruption at snow-covered Mount Etna

    Antonio Parrinello / Reuters

    Mount Etna spews volcanic ash during an eruption on the southern Italian island of Sicily on Jan. 5, 2012. Mount Etna is Europe's tallest and most active volcano.

    Mount Etna erupted on Thursday for the first time in 2012, forcing the temporary closure of Sicily's busiest airport, the Italian news agency ANSA reports. Europe's tallest active volcano spewed spectacular fountains of lava and sent up a plume of black smoke rising 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) above sea level. That prompted authorities to limit air traffic to Sicily's Catania Airport until midday, ANSA reported. Etna erupted 18 times during 2011, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. 

    See more volcano eruptions on PhotoBlog.

    Sicily's Mount Etna has erupted, marking its first eruption in weeks. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.

  • 'Cold lava flood' kills villagers near Indonesia volcano

    By msnbc.com staff and news services

    Fast-moving mudflows streaming from the mouth of a volcano killed four villagers in eastern Indonesia, officials said Wednesday. 

    About 1,000 other people have fled their homes.

    Mount Gamalama, located in the Molucca Islands, sprang back to life this month with a powerful, non-fatal eruption.

    Government spokesman Yusuf Sunnya said Wednesday that days of heavy rains triggered flows of cold lava, rocks and other debris that slammed into villages Tuesday night.

    He said four people were killed and more than a dozen others were hospitalized with injuries ranging from broken bones to head wounds.

    The Jakarta Post described the deadly incident as a "cold lava flood."

    Provincial spokesman Andi Arief said the cold lava slides destroyed several houses in the villages.

    "Initial data cited that three people died, while many other residents (were) evacuated to a school building and the former North Maluku governor's office," Andi said in a statement.

    Indonesia is a vast archipelago with millions of people living on mountains or near fertile flood plains. Seasonal downpours here often cause landslides.

    The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.