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Photo shows Mount Etna erupting in February 2021, not July 2024
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The photo shows Mount Etna erupting in February 2021, not July 2024.
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Mount Etna did erupt in July 2024, and the Catania Airport suspended operations only for a few hours. It reopened July 5.
Red and black plumes rise from a volcano and cover the sky in a photo shared July 6 that appears to show a current volcanic eruption.
"Mount Etna ERUPTS in Sicily. Catania Airport closes as ash blankets the city," the caption of the Facebook post sharing the photo read.
(Screenshot from Facebook)
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
The photo does show Mount Etna erupting, but not in July 2024.
Featured Fact-check
A reverse-image search shows the photo was featured in two news reports about Mount Etna erupting in February 2021.
Mount Etna did erupt in July 2024, and the resulting volcanic ash fallout caused the Catania Airport to suspend arrivals and departures temporarily, as it announced at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time on July 5. At 7:25 a.m. Eastern Time the same day, the airport said it had reopened for departures while limiting arrivals to two per hour.
In its last update at 10:33 a.m. July 5, the Catania Airport said it has "fully reopened," though it warned about temporary delays.
But the Facebook post’s photo is years old and doesn’t show Mount Etna’s July 2024 eruption. We rate that claim False.
Our Sources
Facebook post (archived), July 6, 2024
France24, Sicily's Catania airport reopens after Mount Etna eruption, July 5, 2024
Firstpost.com, Sicilians 'not worried' that Mount Etna is erupting as they have 'seen worse', Feb. 17, 2021
The Jakarta Post, Mount Etna spews smoke and ashes in spectacular new eruption, Feb. 17, 2021
The New York Times, A Dazzling Eruption of Lava Spews Out of Mount Etna, July 5, 2024
X post by Aeroporto di Catania, July 5, 2024
X post by Aeroporto di Catania, July 5, 2024
X post by Aeroporto di Catania, July 5, 2024
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Photo shows Mount Etna erupting in February 2021, not July 2024
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