Quito, a city of 1.2 million people, is surrounded by nine volcanoes, and Guagua Pichincha has begun to shower it with ash. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. After Italy Eruption Mt. Etna flows in Sicily. In Italy, torrents of lava and fire flowed on Monday from Mount Etna, Europe's tallest and most active volcano. Four new lava flows and eruptions, strong enough to light up the night sky to the delight of both Sicilians and tourists, posed no threat to residents on the volcano's lower slopes, civil protection officials said.
Greek mythology holds that a monster is pinned beneath the mountain, struggling to escape.
The nearest inhabited area was the town of Bronte, about six miles away. The lava flow was expected to slow down because of a lack of fresh input at the source of the eruption, officials said. Etna has seen minor, intermittent activity since January. Its last major eruption occurred in 1992, when a heavy flow threatened the town of Zafferana. Also Flows In Italy.