Vulcano Island. High gas levels, the inhabitants have to leave the houses in the harbor area

• Gas alarm from underground, some houses evacuated in Vulcano

• Canary, the volcano erupts.

  5 thousand evacuated

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November 19, 2021 Concern for the health of the citizens of Vulcano, in the Aeolian Islands: the mayor of Lipari, Marco Giorgianni, has issued an ordinance that from Monday prohibits leaving the house from 11 pm to 6 am due to the "gas level for the 'volcanic activity ".

The provision concerns the port area of ​​the town. 

The announcement, in a crowded meeting in the presence of volcanologists and local civil protection: involved about 150 residents who will have to find another accommodation for the night. The municipality will make a contribution to "pay for hotels". Restrictions also for tourism: starting from Monday, for a month, tourists will not be able to disembark, only commuters will be allowed to enter the island.

"There are data regarding the increase in gases" - explained the mayor at the meeting - "which create very strong concern because they can be dangerous for public health". It is - explained the mayor of Lipari - a "heavy gas on the ground that reduces the amount of oxygen, and creates breathing difficulties that can have lethal effects".

This is the daily figure: 480 tons of C02 - the normal figure is 80 - "If it is distributed in a limited territory it becomes dangerous, if in a larger territory it is less dangerous", says the Mayor Giorgianni -. "So we have to do something."

Last 21 October, a month ago, the alarm for the gas emanating from the subsoil had already led to the evacuation of some residents' homes, who had reported fumes that in one case had caused illness to some domestic animals, The Carabinieri were intervened in Vulcano - in the Porto Levante district - in some houses, where the residents had reported the presence of smokes coming from the subsoil.

The military had as a precaution removed people from their homes and requested the immediate intervention of personnel from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology who, at the outcome of the inspection, confirmed that a "degassing phenomenon with a percentage of carbon dioxide was taking place ( CO2) above normal values ​​".