A volcano has erupted on an Italian island, spewing ash into the air and spilling lava into the sea. Stromboli, which stands at 926 metres above sea level, erupted after midday local time. Tourists on the nearby island of Sicily shared striking photos and video of the explosion online, showing huge plumes of smoke. The Volcano has been consistently active for decades, but large eruptions are rare. The summit was closed to visitors this summer due to smaller explosions, some of which took place last week. "From webcam images, nothing very unusual could be detected in the minutes before, just a relatively strong [but not unusual] eruption from a vent in the north-eastern crater at 11:55 local time," volcano reporting website Volcano Discovery wrote after the initial eruption. The latest eruption comes as residents of the island struggle to recover from its last eruption in July, which cost an estimated €20 million (Dh90 million) of damage. The July 3 eruption killed a tourist hiking on the island and forced residents to flee into the sea. Shortly after, Sicilian authorities announced a state of emergency. So far the eruption has not caused any injuries to people or property, Italian news service ANSA reported.