Mount Etna erupts again with towers of volcanic ash

Mount Etna has roared back to spectacular action after a few months of relative quiet, sending up a 12-kilometer high volcanic ash cloud over eastern Sicily.  The lava flow from Etna, one of Europe's most active volcanoes, was centered around the crater on the mountain's southeast slope.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage on the inhabited towns ringing the slopes of the volcano, which is popular with hikers, skiers and other tourists.  The towering cloud, visible for kilometers, was the latest impressive show of Etna's power this month. Earlier in February, a particularly powerful eruption sent bolts of lightning dramatically across the sky over eastern Sicily.