An eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily sent bright orange lava down the slopes of Europe's largest active volcano, creating striking scenes captured by drone and from the ground.

The footage shows a long lava flow pouring from a rupture high on the mountain, while one man walks close to the molten rock, highlighting the scale of the eruption against the vast volcanic landscape.

The eruption began on Friday from a fissure about 3,000 metres above sea level.

Mount Etna attracts thousands of visitors each year, and the latest activity has once again turned part of the volcano into a glowing river of molten rock.