Earthquake near Mount Etna damages roads in Italy

A shallow magnitude 3.9 earthquake shook the vicinity of Mount Etna in Sicily, southern Italy, on Saturday, August 15, 2026. The tremor caused concern among local residents and resulted in material damage to road infrastructure in the area.

The earthquake's hypocenter was located just one kilometer deep near the volcano. This shallow depth suggests it may be a surface manifestation of the fault that generated the seismic event. The most visible damage occurred on the Mareneve road in Linguaglossa, where the asphalt was affected.

This seismic activity coincided with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in Catania officially lowering the volcanic alert for Mount Etna from red to orange. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center reported weak pyroclastic material emissions and no eruptive columns, indicating a decrease in the volcano's internal energy and tremor to usual levels.

Following nine consecutive days of operational disruptions and diversions, the Catania airport, Fontanarossa, has begun a gradual reopening of sectors C1 and B3. The closure of the airspace during the peak summer season significantly impacted over 100,000 travelers, who were rerouted to alternative terminals. This disruption is estimated to have caused a financial impact of between 12 and 24 million euros.