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Smoke billows from Mount Etna volcano, Italy, Monday, June 2, 2025

Video. Drone footage shows Mount Etna cable car above volcanic landscape

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Sicily's Etna cable car carries visitors up Europe's active volcano while engineers manage risks from eruptions, gases and harsh conditions.

The Funivia dell'Etna cable car continues to carry visitors up the slopes of Mount Etna, offering views of the surrounding volcanic landscape.

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Drone footage shows the cable car climbing towards the 2,500-metre station, with gas and vapour rising from the volcano behind it.

The cable car, which first opened in 1966, has been repeatedly destroyed by Etna's eruptions. Owner Francesco Russo Morosoli says the system has been rebuilt several times, including after a lava flow destroyed it in 2001 before its reopening.

Today, engineers manage the challenges of operating on an active volcano, where gases, salt air, strong winds and volcanic activity can damage equipment or interrupt services.

Despite the risks, the attraction continues to bring tourists closer to the summit of Mount Etna.

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