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CNN Live At Daybreak
Mount Etna Still Blowing Its Top
Aired October 31, 2002 - 05:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to change gears now, go overseas. In Sicily, Mount Etna is still blowing its top and has been for four straight days now. Clouds of smoke can be seen in Africa and are even visible in space.
We want to get more on this from our Chris Burns, who joins us live on the telephone from Mount Etna -- Chris, how close are you?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, I'm standing on some of the lava that just erupted in the last couple of days. It's still smoldering very, very close to me. And in the last few minutes we've heard a very continuous series of explosions in the distance. Although volcanologists say that the eruptions have toned down somewhat in the last 24 hours, it's still very alive from this standpoint, anyway.
The sun is blocked by lots of smoke. The ash is getting in our eyes over here. The trees have been snapped like toothpicks from the advance of the lava that has blocked this road that leads up to the volcano itself.
More earthquakes, there was one of 2.4 on the Richter Scale this morning. And also, at the same time, the security authorities, the civil defense authorities are making all kinds of efforts to try to prevent the lava and the fires from advancing. Canader (ph) tankers are flying over, we heard from Dawn this morning, flying overhead, dropping more water over the areas where the forests have been set afire by the lava.
Bulldozers have been moved up in the area here to try to shore up some parts where the lava could advance and at the same time people are holding vigil and praying down in Liguaglosa (ph), the little town called the Tongue of Lava where they're praying around the saint, the patron saint, asking that they be spared from this eruption. They'll have to see if this prevents them from being overrun.
So far the lava has advanced some five miles or so in the last four days, and this is what authorities are concerned about, that they don't want it to go any further if they can help it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, and I see people are wearing things over their noses and mouths, so it must be hard to breathe there, too, Chris.
BURNS: Well, I would be doing that now if I didn't have to talk to you.
COSTELLO: Well, you go ahead and put that on then. Chris Burns, thank you.
We'll get back to you a little later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 31, 2002 - 05:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to change gears now, go overseas. In Sicily, Mount Etna is still blowing its top and has been for four straight days now. Clouds of smoke can be seen in Africa and are even visible in space.
We want to get more on this from our Chris Burns, who joins us live on the telephone from Mount Etna -- Chris, how close are you?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, I'm standing on some of the lava that just erupted in the last couple of days. It's still smoldering very, very close to me. And in the last few minutes we've heard a very continuous series of explosions in the distance. Although volcanologists say that the eruptions have toned down somewhat in the last 24 hours, it's still very alive from this standpoint, anyway.
The sun is blocked by lots of smoke. The ash is getting in our eyes over here. The trees have been snapped like toothpicks from the advance of the lava that has blocked this road that leads up to the volcano itself.
More earthquakes, there was one of 2.4 on the Richter Scale this morning. And also, at the same time, the security authorities, the civil defense authorities are making all kinds of efforts to try to prevent the lava and the fires from advancing. Canader (ph) tankers are flying over, we heard from Dawn this morning, flying overhead, dropping more water over the areas where the forests have been set afire by the lava.
Bulldozers have been moved up in the area here to try to shore up some parts where the lava could advance and at the same time people are holding vigil and praying down in Liguaglosa (ph), the little town called the Tongue of Lava where they're praying around the saint, the patron saint, asking that they be spared from this eruption. They'll have to see if this prevents them from being overrun.
So far the lava has advanced some five miles or so in the last four days, and this is what authorities are concerned about, that they don't want it to go any further if they can help it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, and I see people are wearing things over their noses and mouths, so it must be hard to breathe there, too, Chris.
BURNS: Well, I would be doing that now if I didn't have to talk to you.
COSTELLO: Well, you go ahead and put that on then. Chris Burns, thank you.
We'll get back to you a little later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
